


Break of Dawn

by Rhianona



Series: Break of Dawn [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter Big Bang 2010, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-10
Updated: 2010-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-08 20:23:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 61,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhianona/pseuds/Rhianona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magic sent Harry, Luna and Neville to a new world, one where their families lived. How will they handle their changed circumstance? What about their families?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** [Insert witty comment here] Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.
> 
> **Set:** AU post-OOTP, with selective canon from HBP and DH. No Hallows, no redemption of Snape and the war doesn't end until 2002.
> 
> **Author's Note(s):** First, super thanks to my betas, leda13 and M.S. They have been terrific in catching typos and plot holes. Any remaining mistakes are my own.I first conceived of this fic way back in 2007. I wanted to read a dimension-travel fic that dealt with finding family outside of a war setting. I couldn't find one, so I decided to write my own. This has sat around in various notebooks for a couple of years and with the exception of a couple of one-shots has mostly stayed there. I would also like to thank the Caer Azkaban yahoo group for providing insight and advice at various stages of writing this. I am also thankful to all those writers who have written dimension travel fics and have inspired me while writing this.

** _Prologue:_ **

Magic crackled in the air, creating a charged atmosphere and making it difficult to breathe. Not that the participants caught in the eye of the storm particularly cared. No, the two figures, both clad in black, both exhibiting wounds from various curses, hexes and weapons, seemed only to care for each other. Every bit of their body, their mind and their magic strove for the completion for that which Fate had called.

Prophecy.

Around them, their followers continued to fight, though the participants all kept an eye on the main confrontation. From the right flank, a man struggled to reach the side of his general, intent on not leaving him to this task by himself. From the rearguard, a blonde woman did the same. They had both made oaths that they would stand by the one to whom they gave their allegiance and loyalty; nothing would stop them. They darted in and out of individual duels, lending their aid where they could, and made their way to where the two figures battled, guarding their chosen's back as they had sworn to do.

The air around them seemed to pulse. A thought, captured - examined. And then… a flash of power, so bright, so powerful that it blinded all that stood before it. When it cleared, the enemy lay dead, but the man and his companions had vanished, never to be seen again.

At least in this world.


	2. Part I: Arrival

**_Part One: Arrival_**

_March, 2002_

The cerulean sky had very few clouds marring its beauty; a gentle breeze wafted through but did nothing to spoil the idyllic day. In all, perfect for the annual Gryffindor-Slytherin match, one of the most well attended Quidditch games of the year. Alumni and students alike sat in Hogwarts stands, the rivalry between the two Houses surviving even graduation. At the moment, the two teams flew in fierce competition with one another, the score tied and the seekers both looking for the elusive snitch. It was, therefore, a surprise, when the sky darkened suddenly, thunder rumbling and lightening lighting the sky. A few of the professors rose in their seats, wands pointed at the cloud that had formed directly above the Quidditch Pitch. Such an occurrence couldn't be normal; the feel of Magic stirred across their senses, electrifying and calling to their own core, making them feel breathless.

Some of the more observant students and parents began to murmur, wondering what was happening. Almost none had ever felt such a highly charged magical field before. Madam Hooch blew her whistle fiercely, interrupting the game and urging the players to the ground, hoping to get them to safety before the buildup of magic was let loose to dangerous consequence.

Magic crackled in the air, the cloud seeming to pulse with energy. A loud flash and a boom, followed by another two successive ones caused many to flinch and close their eyes in an automatic defense. When they reopened their eyes, they were treated to the unexpected sight of three bodies falling from the sky. Professor Dumbledore and his fellow teachers quickly shouted incantations to slow their drop, until finally they rested peacefully on the ground.

"Would parents and students kindly return to the Great Hall," Professor Dumbledore asked after casting a _sonorous_. Worried murmuring filled the stadium, but the prefects, parents and professors managed to persuade the students to listen. Albus signaled for Poppy to remain behind along with some of the higher-ranking Aurors who had been in the crowd.

"Who are they?" James Potter wondered as they made their way to the bodies.

"The better question, Prongs, is what was powerful enough to punch through Hogwarts' wards?" Sirius Black responded. Albus was surprised by the question as it demonstrated a degree of observance he had long assumed Mr. Black did not have. Of course, Albus reflected, Mr. Black was currently employed by the Department of Mysteries, so perhaps it should not surprise him as such.

"Madame Pomfrey, let us check them out first, before you get close," James ordered. He and his colleagues cast a multitude of identifying spells on the trio and frowned at the results. "I'm not getting anything!" Gideon Prewett said, frustration in his voice. A quick glance at the others told the same story.

"As they are unconscious, let us get them to the infirmary, where we can observe them in a more controlled environment," Albus suggested. To his astonishment, he could not levitate any of the three with magic. Instead, they were forced to conjure stretchers and carry them to the infirmary in that manner. "How curious," Albus observed. He now somehow doubted that Poppy would be able to diagnose or treat any of their injuries.

The trip to the infirmary did not take very long. Poppy directed that they to be placed in the back private room, both for their safety and the safety of Hogwarts' residents. While she fussed over them and the others loitered in the main room, Albus looked over the three that had literally fallen into his school.

It didn't take long for Poppy to ask for help. "I can't seem to get any readings on them. Help me take off their robes," she said. Sirius, James and Gideon followed her into the room. All of them frowned as they tried to remove the robes and were unsuccessful; they then tried to force the robes to reveal how to take them off, but were again unsuccessful.

"Albus, would you give it a try?" she asked, perturbed that nothing seemed to work. Blood and dirt covered the three, though the woman seemed less injured than the two men. She busied herself getting a washbasin and cloth to wipe them down; sometimes the non-magical way worked better.

To the consternation of everyone in the room, not even Albus could dispel whatever charms kept the battle robes fastened tightly around the three people. "Who are they?" James asked. "We haven't had any fighting for a while. Not in Europe at least."

"I don't know, James," Albus replied, a pondering look on his face. "I will have to make inquiries amongst my colleagues in the international community to see if they can help identify these young people."

"The Minister is going to want to know about this," Frank Longbottom commented. "I suppose I should go and tell her before someone else does." Albus simply nodded as the other man exited. He looked at the other men and women who had congregated around the room. Many worked for the Department of Mysteries or were Aurors - all suitable to keep a close watch on the trio until they woke. He would suggest this, rather than have them dragged away to St. Mungo's. Hogwarts practically purred at his thought. Focusing on the feeling he got from his connection with the school, he could only tell that she seemed pleased by something.

He only wished he knew what.

***

An hour later, Poppy had done as much as she could for the three, which was to say, not very much. She washed the dirt and blood from their faces and hands and used a spell to clean their hair. Their appearances startled her to such an extent she had gasped. The two males looked the most familiar, one more than the other. The taller and broader male looked like an older version of Nigel Longbottom, Frank and Alice's second son. The other one looked like a younger version of James Potter - except for the strange lightening bolt scar on his face. The young lady had long blonde hair and pale skin. Poppy felt she looked familiar, but did not know from where - or who.

It bothered her immensely that she could not properly heal her patients. She feared that they might all have serious injuries that, if left unchecked, could prove fatal. Fabian and Hestia had agreed to stay behind whilst she made her report to Albus and promised to keep trying to break whatever charms kept the robes in place - and prevented the use of magic on their persons.

"Ah, Poppy," Albus greeted. "Won't you take a seat?" he asked as he gestured towards a seat in his crowded office.

"Thank you, Headmaster," she said, reverting to a more formal tone in the presence of so many. She recognized uniforms from the Aurors and the Unspeakables, so assumed both divisions of the Ministry had an interest in her patients.

"Tea?" Albus offered. She accepted the cup he handed to her and took a fortifying sip. Her news would, she was certain, disappoint the vast majority of the room's inhabitants. "Now, my dear, what have you discovered?"

"Unfortunately, not very much," she reported. "The robes they are wearing refuse to come off. I am positive - as are Mr. Fabian Prewett and Miss Jones - that there is some sort of charm or spell on the robes that prevent magic from being used on the person wearing them whilst they are unconscious."

"What can you tell us?" Albus questioned.

"They appear to be in their early twenties; they were covered in blood and dirt, some of it theirs, some of it not. The girl looks familiar, but I don't know why. The two men, well… a simple glance is enough to tell that they are somehow related to the Potter and Longbottom families respectively." This seemed to perplex and astound both of the families in question, as they looked at each other in confusion.

"Anything else, Poppy?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I can't do a diagnosis because whatever spells are woven into those robes prevent it. Mr. Prewett and Miss Jones are watching over them and attempting to break the charms once again. I dare say given enough time, they will succeed. I just worry that it will happen too late to help them."

"Are you that certain they are injured, then?" Gideon asked.

"If nothing else, Mr. Prewett, they fell from a long way up," Poppy chided.

"They were caught before they hit the ground," Gideon somehow felt compelled to point out.

"I did mention the blood, didn't I?" Poppy asked stiffly.

"They didn't look all that bad. Nothing gushing at least," he countered.

"Very well," Albus interrupted before the meeting generated into a debate between Hogwarts' mediwitch and Gideon. "I assume the Minister will wish to place guards on our guests while we wait for them to wake." He looked to Frank, who served as an undersecretary to the Minister and he nodded in agreement. "I trust you will enlighten her to Poppy's findings, Frank. Now then, I believe Hestia and Fabian can continue watching our guests." The group nodded, well used to obeying his instructions from their time in the Order. Not that the Order had been very active in the last couple of decades, but habits were hard to break.

"I will get back to my patients," Poppy announced, eager to discover whether Fabian and Hestia had broken the enchantments yet – as well as get away from the other Prewett brother. She hurried back to the hospital wing, only to be met by disappointment; she did the only thing she could do: feed them nutrition potions and blood replenishers. Neither would hurt them and it made her feel as if she was upholding her oath to do so.

"When do you think they will wake?" Hestia asked.

She shrugged in response. "I can only make assumptions," she admitted. "I suspect they are suffering magical exhaustion on top of any other injuries they might have. If that is the most serious of their problems, then they will wake when their magical cores have replenished. Anything and everything else must wait until then." She didn't like it, but until they figured out how to turn off those robes, she couldn't do much more than she had.

***

Watching the three mysterious people did not constitute an exciting assignment. Gideon hadn't minded it at first; he and his twin had a bit of a competition going on to see which of them could break the damned enchantments on the kids. No one had yet succeeded, not them, not Lily Potter or Soleil Lovegood or Hestia Jones or Filius Flitwick or even Albus Dumbledore. It both frustrated and fascinated all of them, and the Unspeakables had lobbied the Minister to ensure that at least some of its agents might keep watch over the three.

It was boring. Oh, he still made an attempt every so often to try and break the enchantment, but he had more or less given up - as had everyone else involved. Nothing they tried worked. Even some of the more esoteric shit hadn't worked and Gideon had been sure that it would.

He currently sat outside the room where the three were stashed; at first they had all sat in the same room as the unconscious trio, but Poppy had kicked them out when he and Fabian had decide to liven up their appearances with Muggle makeup. She had not been amused. From then on, all guards had to sit outside their room and, perhaps worst of all, he and Fabian had been forbidden to share the same shift.

Today, his partner was Nymphadora Tonks, a young Auror who had just been promoted from junior grade to full Auror. He liked her; she had a good sense of humor and often entertained others by changing her appearance with her metamorph powers. Unfortunately, she still seemed annoyed with him for the prank he had played on her earlier and refused to speak to him, immersing herself in a book. He sighed heavily, glancing over to see if she reacted.

"If you're that bored, why don't you read a book?" she asked without lifting her head.

"I don't want to read," he pouted. "Come on, Nymphie… I said I was sorry."

"Don't call me Nymphie," she ground out. He grimaced as he realized he had probably just destroyed any chance of civil conversation for the rest of the shift. He had forgotten just how sensitive she was about her name. Of course, no one really understood why Ted had named his only child 'Nymphadora' – and the one who might know wouldn't give them the time of day.

He sighed heavily and twiddled his thumbs. Squirmed in his seat and stretched out his legs. Sighed again. Cast a _tempus_ to see how much longer he could leave. Forty more minutes.

"Stop fidgeting," Tonks ordered.

"I'm bored, Tonksie. Why won't they wake?" he whined.

"How are you older than me?" she asked, peering over her book to look at him in bemusement.

"Why are _you_ so serious?" he countered.

"I'm not Sirius - that's my cousin," she automatically responded before closing her eyes and groaning at the common pun most everyone amongst the Aurors and Unspeakables used at least once a week. Gideon grinned, happy to have gotten an actual response from her.

"How are your cousins?" he asked. He hadn't seen Sirius or Regulus for a while, stuck as he was guarding the trio in Hogwarts.

"Lily says they're fine," she responded. "I don't really see him much, since we're on different shifts and different departments." She stuck her head back into her book and returned to ignoring him. He pouted in response, though she didn't look up so it was wasted.

Leaning back in the chair, he wondered once again just who the people in the room were. More importantly, how in Merlin's name had they just appeared, punching through Hogwarts' wards like they were nothing?

Questions everyone had and for which no one had an answer.

His musings were brought short as an alarm began to ring. He and Tonks both leapt up from their chairs and ran towards the room, knowing that it signaled that one of their visitors had woken. Unfortunately for him, he bounced off as shimmering ward that had snapped up out of nowhere as he tried to enter the door. He tumbled into Tonks, both of them crashing onto the floor and bringing Poppy running.

"What in Merlin's name?" she asked as she took in the ward that now blocked their entrance to the private room and the tangle of Auror and Unspeakable on the floor.

"Damn," Gideon cursed. This was bad. He scrambled off of Tonks, who helped by pushing him off.

"Merlin, you're heavy!" she panted.

Gideon ignored her and Poppy while he pulled out his wand to identify the ward. He frowned as it came up as unknown. "Tonks, alert the Headmaster, Frank Longbottom, Amelia Bones and Croaker. They're all going to want to see this."

Looked like their guests just got even more interesting.

***

The gathering in Albus' office resembled that which had gathered not even three days past. Frank represented the Minister, with James for Amelia. The Unspeakables had sent their best curse breakers, charms experts and spell crafters, in the form of the Prewett twins, Lily Potter, Soleil Lovegood, and Sirius Black. Hestia Jones stood guard in the infirmary with Tonks.

Albus gazed calmly at the men and women who sat in his office and pursed his lips. He felt a frisson of _something_ \- what, he didn't know. He had a feeling that it would turn out for the good of the Wizarding world.

"The wards is fascinating," Lily commented as she gave her report on their attempts to unravel it. "It appears to be a combination of several different types of wards, all fused into one," she continued. "We're going to have to identify which wards were present before we can even attempt to take it down."

Silence echoed in the room. Albus looked thoughtful. "Have you identified any yet?"

She nodded. "We're making a list. So far, we've found ten different ones, but there are more." This caused astonishment. Wards were complex and tricky to begin with; altering and combining them required a deft touch, a great deal of patience and an intuitive nature - and even then, more people died or were injured than not.

"Can you tell what they are doing inside the room?" Frank asked.

Gideon shrugged. "The ward creates a shimmering barrier that makes it difficult to see inside clearly. We can see general shapes, but not much else. From what we can tell, one person woke, put up the ward and then moved to one of the other beds. We've seen some movement in the room, but can't see inside enough to tell what they're doing."

"So they could be planning to attack and we won't know until they act," Frank put forth.

"I don't think they will act offensively," Albus interjected. "Hogwarts is content to let the ward remain," he reminded them. Everyone looked at him, confused by his comment. "Ah, yes. I rather forgot that none of you would necessarily know. It is rather difficult if not impossible to set up an independent ward that is not connected to Hogwarts own wards. She simply doesn't allow it. That she allows this must mean that she doesn't see our visitors as threats."

"What about Fawkes? Can he get inside?" James asked.

"Interestingly enough, I asked both him and a house elf to try and gain entrance. Neither was able. Fawkes was much put out," Albus replied.

Sirius looked up at that. "They couldn't get through? I didn't know there were wards that could keep out a phoenix."

"It seems this is the first of its kind," Albus confirmed.

"Just _who_ are they?" Frank asked, shaking his head.

No one had an answer.

***

Fabian ran through the halls of Hogwarts, a note clutched in his hand as he hurried to the Headmaster's office. It had been a week since the strange ward had gone up and despite their best efforts, none of them had come close to unraveling it. Each time they thought they had come close, it turned out they had only unraveled a small portion of it and they found a new scheme that needed identifying. The Department of Mysteries had pulled every ward expert they reasonably could onto the project. Minister McKinnon had even considered hiring some Gringotts' curse breakers.

And now, after a solid week of trying to break through the ward with no success, their guests had somehow sent a message through.

He ignored the whispers and stares as he raced through the halls; he gasped out the password to the gargoyle that stood guard to the Headmaster's domain and hurried into the office proper. "Albus!" he shouted, "we might have a problem." He thrust the note into his hand and collapsed into a chair.

Nothing ever seemed to surprise Albus Dumbledore. With little more than an eyebrow raised in curiosity, he took the proffered note and read it.

_Dear Sir or Madam:  
We thank you for allowing us the use of your infirmary whilst we healed. As we have recovered our strength, we wish to take down our ward and meet with you and those of your choice. Provided you are agreeable, we will take our ward down at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. _

If this is acceptable, please leave a note with your response outside the warded door. We will receive your message.

Yours, etc…

~P. T. D. ~  


Fabian barely waited for the Headmaster to finish before demanding to know what it said. His foot jiggled with impatience, a sense of nervousness filling him. Everything they knew about the three came from their observations and inability to crack their wards and other spell work. The Unspeakable in him didn't like that. It meant too many unknown factors.

"You didn't read it?" Professor Dumbledore wondered.

"Wanted to get it to you first," he said. The note was handed to him. His eyebrows rose as he quickly scanned it. "What do you want to do?"

"I imagine the Minister will wish to send a contingent," the professor mused. "And of course, the Unspeakables will want to be in attendance."

"Some of the 'old crowd' as well?" Fabian asked.

"It might be wise," he conceded.

"I'll let the Minister and Croaker know," Fabian offered.

Fabian imagined the Headmaster had a lot to do before the morning. With their guests complete unknowns, he would need to ensure the safety of the students. Fabian didn't envy him.

***

Gideon watched as Headmaster Dumbledore patiently waited before the warded door in the infirmary. Clad in his customary blue robes with yellow stars, the headmaster had his hands clasped behind his back, a twinkle in his eye; he looked eager to meet the three behind the wards. Gideon didn't know how the headmaster could keep so calm. They knew little about these three strangers, and even less about the magic they wielded; magic no one could recognize.

While the Headmaster appeared to not have a care, the four other witches and wizards waiting with him were not so sanguine. James Potter and Sirius Black stood stiffly and warily; Tonks fidgeted in place, her gaze on the door. The Professor believed Hogwarts would protect them should the three act aggressively but Gideon preferred to trust in what he knew and not the Headmaster's assurances.

At precisely nine o'clock, the ward shimmered and broke. The three walked forward, doing their best to appear peaceful. Gideon saw with some surprise that they wore dress battle robes; not something seen every day. Usually, Hit Wizards wore them at award ceremonies or formal occasions.

Battle robes, as their name suggested, were designed for fighting: not dueling, but actual fighting where the law of war ruled instead of honor. Usually made of dragon hide and then spelled to provide maximum protection, such armor was very expenive. Dress battle robes were made similarly, but designed in such a way that to fight in them with ease would require making modifications. For example, the sleeves of the robes were tight to the elbow before opening into a large bell shape. In a fight, the sleeves would prove a hindrance until the wearer spelled them off or tight to the wrist.

The robes worn by the three seemed to shine with a gleam that Gideon didn't recognize; he thought he knew what all types of dragon hide looked like, but he couldn't identify from which species these had come. They were molded tight across the chest, clasped in at the waist and then split at the legs. The two men wore dragon hide trousers and knee-high boots. They both had swords strapped to their waist, though he noted they were peace bound: a strap of leather snapped around the hilt and kept the blade within the scabbard. The girl wore full trousers that resembled a skirt. She had bound her hair into a braid that teased the edge of her waist. Unlike the two men, she did not have a sword, but rather what looked like daggers, discretely tucked into her belt. All three of them had wands holstered to their forearm.

Badges and various ribbons decorated the left side of each chest. The girl had a thestral on a field of blue, the tall and broad man, a dragon on a field of red, and the apparent leader, a phoenix in flight with a crossed wand and sword held in its talons. It looked like they had a patch on their right sleeves, but he couldn't see what was illustrated on them clearly from this angle.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the professor began, "I am the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Headmaster Dumbledore," the black-haired one that looked disturbingly similar to a young James Potter, greeted. He bowed from the waist, keeping his hands clear of any weapons. "As per the ancient laws of hospitality, we pledge our wands and magic to your aid whilst we remain under your roof and enjoy the fruits of your labor."

A flash of light signified the sealing of the vow he made with the modern translations of an ancient ritual most people - even Unspeakables - didn't even remember existed. Gideon exchanged a quirked eyebrow with Sirius; they both well knew that for the vow to hold all three to their word, the other two must consider the first their leader, able to speak for them and bind their will. Sworn companions was not something seen everyday. It made him wonder in what other ways they might surprise them all.

"Under my roof, you shall not be harmed," the Headmaster intoned, finishing the host's part of the ritual, and the flash of light confirming his vow shone no less bright than theirs.

The leader bowed his head, "Allow me to introduce myself and my companions," he said politely. "The lovely lady to my left is known as Thestral. My companion to the left is Dragon. And I, I am called Phoenix."

It didn't seem to bother Albus that they had given aliases, code names if Gideon had the right of it. Despite their vow to adhere to the laws of hospitality, Gideon still didn't want to trust them. They showed little emotion and acted with a grace and mien different from any he had seen in recent years. Tonks seemed to agree; she shifted from foot to foot, keeping them in her sight and fiddling with her wand.

And yet they could not act against them at all. Dumbledore had given them guesthouse and by the laws of hospitality, attacking them would violate their sanctuary; harsh repercussions would fall upon those that broke the most ancient of laws.

"If you would please follow me," the professor gestured towards the hall. "Our Minister has sent some personnel to ask some questions about your presence and how you came to arrive at Hogwarts."

Phoenix nodded, "I imagine it took everyone by surprise," he commented. "We did not expect such a thing to happen." The formal tone did not sound natural coming from him though Gideon could not say why he thought that. Maybe because he was so young to be so jaded.

The professor acknowledged that with a cheerful grin and gestured to the hall; he led the trio into the hall and towards the room set aside for the meeting. That left the four of them to follow and pretend that they could act if the three chose to dishonor their vow and attack their host or any other resident of Hogwarts. Based on the magic displayed by the three, even as passive as it had been, Gideon would wager these three would be formidable opponents.

"Check out the artwork on their backs!" Tonks pointed to the stylized representations of the animals whose names they had claimed. Each picture greatly resembled that which they wore as a badge, but bigger.

"I wonder why they chose those particular devices - and names," James mused.

"Suppose we'll find out," Sirius commented. Ahead of them, the Headmaster calmly pointed out the interesting architecture of Hogwarts and related some of her more colorful history. Gideon couldn't help but feel that for all that they paid attention, nodding politely and making the appropriate comments, none of this was new to them. He didn't know why he felt that way, but he did.

It was a mystery he didn't particularly care for.

***

It had quickly become obvious that something bothered the three visitors. Not that they indicated so in words or deeds, but they seemed unusually cautious in their interactions with those in the room. Albus did his best to try and engage them in conversation, hoping to move beyond the theoretical and into their specific stories, but they all skillfully evaded his attempts.

James rather thought Albus was a bit put out by that. He himself was impressed; not many could outwit Albus Dumbledore so effectively.

It wasn't that they didn't answer the questions posed to them. On the contrary, Thestral seemed to thrive on the theoretical aspects of their arrival, eagerly participating in a lively discussion with Lily, Soleil and Albus. Sirius seemed just as interested, though he seemed content to observe rather than contribute. The Prewett twins shifted uncomfortably in their seats, though by the sharp glance they occasionally sent the trio, James felt that they harbored some suspicion towards them that went beyond their arrival.

Inter-dimensional travelers – or whatever one might call them – had not happened in a long time, if ever. The Department of Mysteries would hold the answer to that. It seemed all rather fantastical to James. And yet, the proof appeared right before them. Something had caused the three to drop down from the sky in the middle of the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch. For all that the three had shown a great deal of power and a great amount of acumen with magic, James didn't believe they could so easily break the wards that surrounded the school. Discreet inquiries to the world's ministries had yielded no answers on the identity of the three. Given how powerful – or at least knowledgeable - they appeared, for that ward in the hospital wing should not have prevented the best Unspeakables, curse breakers and charms masters from breaking it, they could not have just come up from nowhere. They had training; the way they carefully observed their surrounding, marking where each and every person in the room sat, where the exits were, and so forth, also played into the belief James held that they had some sort of elite training.

All this lead to the unerring sense that, no matter how unbelievable it might be, these three people had journeyed from another reality, dimension, universe – whatever one might term it – to this one. And there was no way to send them back.

Frankly, James didn't think they wanted to return. Given the state in which they had appeared, he could hardly fault them. It still left those of this universe with the task of ascertaining whether the newcomers posed a threat to Britain.

***

It disconcerted Sirius to see a young man who resembled his best friend sit there, with a wary look on his face, completely closed off. The one that went by 'Phoenix' had not relaxed to any degree since sitting this room with those chosen for the initial interview. And, if he had not looked like Prongs, perhaps Sirius could relax or not feel a sharp pang of betrayal and wariness as he listened to the others push and prod the three into answering their questions.

The young man had the famous Potter hair; despite its length, it still stuck out a bit with cowlicks that refused to lay flat. His face resembled James' too, with a snub nose and slightly pointed chin. Shorter than James, his eyes resembled Lily's – a color he hadn't seen on anyone else since his godson had been murdered twenty-one years ago by Voldemort.

'Phoenix's' resemblance to his best friend was not the only aspect of the three that made him wary; the other young man, 'Dragon,' looked like a mix of Frank and Alice, even more so than their son, Nigel. Unlike Nigel, this one had a warrior's strength that only came from fighting daily for one's life. And then there was 'Thestral'; the girl had the silvery blonde hair and slight build of Soleil Lovegood, but her eyes – bulging and silvery blue – could only belong to Xeno. Yet, as far as Sirius knew, the Lovegoods had never had a child, mostly because the Death Eaters had hit Soleil with a curse that had destroyed her chances of bearing a child to term towards the end of the war.

Sirius didn't believe in coincidence and it seemed unlikely, if not fantastical, that these three, with their resemblance to people Sirius trusted greatly, were not related to them in some way. His mind insisted that their resemblance could only mean one thing: that they were the analogues of those killed or never born.

His heart refused to believe it. He didn't want to reopen old wounds if the turned out to be who he had begun to suspect they were. Then there was the obvious evidence that they had experienced a great deal of trauma and it was anyone's guess as to how they would react to finding family here. Lily and James did not need to deal with rejection, not when it was their fondest wish to have their Harry back.

Of course, this all assumed that this 'Phoenix' character was the counterpart to their son.

 

***

"Thesalopilis posited the existence of multiple realities or dimensions, if you will," Thestral began. "Simply enough, every choice we make, every decision causes a branching off. A turns right and this reality experiences the consequences of it. He turns left in another: that reality experiences different consequences – or not. Infinite realities, all resulting from different choices made. Some big, some small."

"You're saying it's not a theory, but fact?" Fabian asked.

She shrugged, but it was Phoenix that responded. "After we woke and realized where we were, we had three ongoing theories. All but one has been eliminated as impossible – or at least extremely unlikely."

"Perhaps you could elaborate on that?" Albus hinted.

Green eyes pierced his, searching for something though Albus hadn't a clue as to what. "One, we were hallucinating. Two, we somehow managed to travel to the past. Or three, we traveled to a different reality."

"How did you eliminate the other possibilities?" Lily asked.

"The easiest was the second – time travel. Even without the _tempus_ charm, the presence of several people we know to be dead but who look like they would if they had survived to 2002, seems to eliminate that," Dragon answered.

"We've never heard of a potion, poison or spell that could create such an elaborate and long lasting hallucination as the one we're currently experiencing, so it's mostly likely not that either," Thestral added. "That leaves dimension or reality traveling. Frankly, it provides the best answer for the presence of so many who are dead where we're from."

"It seems so fantastical," Lily murmured. "How did you travel here? Thesalopilis never came up with a satisfactory answer for how one might travel between realities. Neither has anyone else in the centuries since."

The three exchanged a glance, as if steeling themselves for an answer they knew would be difficult to accept. It had become quite apparent to those of this reality that the three had planned their meeting with all of them, from the topics they wanted to discuss to how they would do so. It left many wondering whether they could actually trust the three.

"What do you know of Malburg's Theory of Magic?" Thestral asked.

"Who?" Albus inquired.

"Malburg," Thestral repeated. Blank looks from everyone around caused her to sigh. "Perhaps someone else came up with her theory," she mused. "Malburg's Theory of Magic posited that if enough magic was released at the same time, it would give the magic a kind of sentience."

"Oh! You mean Xiao Li," Soliel exclaimed. She turned to Lily and Albus as the ones most likely to recognize the name and the theory attached to it. "I don't think his Theory of Magic made it to the West until quite late, maybe the early eighteenth century?"

"That's right!" Lily replied. "China kept it pretty secret, with only hints of his writings. It caused quite a controversy when it was finally published and made available to the West."

"Right, so Malburg in our world, Li in yours, believed that Magic could become sentient. I don't know if Li ever proved it here, but in our reality, despite numerous attempts, Malburg never succeeded in proving her theory correct."

"I believe… if I'm not mistaken, Li came close but never proved it to the satisfaction of his Ministry. Some others have attempted the feat, but alas, without success," Albus commented.

"Or, they didn't admit to it," Phoenix countered, a bit darkly, causing the others to look at him with curious eyes. He didn't sate their curiosity though, seeming content to let Thestral continue lecturing.

"I'm not surprised that he only came close to achieving it," Thestral continued. "A very large, very powerful burst must be released in order to achieve sentience."

"How do you know that?" Gideon asked, breaking the silence he had fallen into since the introductions.

"Perhaps I should have begun this by stating I believe we were able to travel across realities _because_ Magic became sentient enough to, well, judge is the best word I can come up with."

"That's ridiculous!" Fabian exclaimed. "You expect us to believe that you traveled across realities because Magic let you?"

"Maybe you should listen to what we say before you insult us," Dragon suggested quietly. Thestral continued to look bemused and uncaring but it was Phoenix that scared some. His green eyes pierced Fabian's, cold and unemotional, promising _something_ unrelenting in their intensity. Fabian couldn't hold the gaze for long and dropped his eyes, mumbling an apology. An action none had expected, given the stubborn nature of the Prewetts.

Thestral continued, as if she hadn't been interrupted. "It is not difficult for you to realize we were in a war. I imagine the battle robes we wore on our arrival hinted at that." Nods all around answered her implied question. "The war… well, the war had lasted for quite some time. Going on seven years when we left. It started out slow, with little blood shed between the opposing sides, but by the time the second anniversary of its start came around, things got serious. It…" she stumbled here and both Dragon and Phoenix turned and offered her unspoken reassurance. It made the others in the room feel uncomfortable, as if they had witnessed something private.

And perhaps they had; they certainly didn't know the devastation that had wreaked havoc on the three's reality. Britain had enjoyed two decades of peace and even if many in the room had experienced battle, it was in the distant past, memories to be brought out on occasion but rarely visited for the pain they caused. For these three, their war had just ended and they must feel disjointed in its aftermath. Nearly everyone could sympathize with that.

"We arrived here on the heels of our Final Battle," Phoenix stated bluntly. "It took us close to a year to plan for it, the final confrontation, and we were nearly unready. But our luck changed about two weeks before it and the last bit fell into place."

"I'm sure some of you remember what a full out magical battle is like," Dragon took over. "Spells fly all around you, screams and cries of the dead, injured and dying. We'd fought battles before but this time, the very air seemed charged, as if the world itself knew this was it, this was the Final Battle of the War."

"There was no mistaking it: we all knew that we would either succeed, defeating our enemy once and for all, or we would fall to his forces, completely destroyed. It was time for us to make our final stand, to force our enemy to commit all his resources against ours." Dragon's voice had begun to rise as he continued speaking, passionate and proving to those in the room at least, his prowess as a battle field commander. Silence descended after his last sentence. His companions shared pained smiles, lost in their thoughts and those in the room were loath to interrupt so private a moment.

"In the end, the battle went much as we had hoped it would," Thestral picked up the tale. "Phoenix fought his way through the enemy to reach the leader of the Dark and issued his challenge. Both Dragon and I had to make our way to join him, separated as we were from our initial positions on the battlefield. We weren't going to let Phoenix do this alone." She gazed fondly at him, a mix of exasperation, love and loyalty.

"Magic had been building throughout the entire battle. We could almost feel it, that's how heavy it had become. It didn't stop anyone from continuing to fight. Our side knew this was it, but I think the other side had realized it pretty quickly once we engaged them. In the end, Phoenix and the Dark Lord released a flurry of spells that collided against each other, lighting up the sky around them. An almost preternatural calm descended on the field and that's when it happened."

"What I can only describe as a… _weight_ appeared. It wasn't a physical manifestation of Magic but we all knew Magic was there. I don't know how it felt to Dragon or Phoenix or the Dark Lord, but it seemed to shift through my mind, ruffling through my memories. I found myself answering the question I could feel posed to me. Not in words, but in feelings. It asked me what I wanted. I can only assume it asked Dragon and Phoenix the same."

Dragon shrugged, while Phoenix had a tight look on his face, his shoulders scrunched in discomfort. "Not as much," he answered the unspoken question. "I think it probably knew what I wanted, since it was at the forefront of my mind during the fight."

"It's my belief that Magic took our wishes and granted them to the best of its ability. It took us from our reality and brought us here, because it believed that this reality held the answers to what we wanted," Thestral continued, as if she hadn't just dropped a substantial amount of information that would require a great deal of thought and discussion – without the three around to muddy the waters.

"What could you want that our reality provides the answer?" Frank asked, suspicion in his tone.

"Peace, for one," Dragon answered. "Some of us have been involved since the start of the war, or soon afterwards."

"Family. Friends," Thestral added. "We're no strangers to death."

"Fascinating," Albus stated.

"So, you're saying that Magic answered your unspoken requests for peace and family by sending you here?" Soliel asked, wanting to clarify just what they had asked. She received shrugs for an answer.

"It seems the most likely answer," Thestral finally said. "I don't know how else just the three of us could have arrived."

"What do you mean?" Fabian asked.

"There was another theory that enough Magic could literally rip a hole between the different dimensions, throwing those nearby into that reality," Thestral explained. "All three of us were near each other, but so too were the Dark Lord and some of his most ardent supporters. If a hole had been ripped between your reality and ours, they should have fallen through as well. But they didn't, which means that there was no hole."

"How do you know for certain this Dark Lord of yours didn't fall through as well?" Gideon put forth.

"Have you had any unexplained deaths? An upsurge in violence?" Phoenix countered harshly. "Believe me. If they had fallen through, you would know."

Silence descended as his words rang harshly in the room. It did seem unlikely that their enemy had fallen through at the same time as they did. It still didn't answer the pressing questions they all had; namely, just _who_ were the three and what did it mean to this reality to have them here?

***

"Well, it has grown rather late," Albus said, clapping his hands. "Perhaps we should adjoin until tomorrow. Would that be acceptable?" he asked, peering over his spectacles at the room at large.

Both the Prewett twins looked as if they wanted to protest, but they quailed under his gaze. The trio didn't shift their expressions, yet there still seemed an aura of relief after hearing his suggestion. No one else spoke up and Albus took that as a sign of agreement.

"Very well. I believe we should meet tomorrow, where we can hear more of your personal history," he began and by his tone and his look, the trio could have no doubt that he expected them to reveal who exactly they were. Sirius rather thought that they had expected something like that, as Phoenix nodded grimly.

"Of course," he responded. "And it might be helpful as well, to discover just how this reality differs from our own. When the… event that caused the differences between the two occurred."

"Indeed, it sounds like a most prodigiously idea," Albus replied. "If you will follow me, I shall bring you to some guest quarters. Would you prefer to eat your meals in the Great Hall? Or in your rooms?"

Another quick glance between the three and they calmed any concerns the others might have, by requesting their meals in their rooms. Albus might consider them no threat, but no one else in the room believed the students of Hogwarts should see them until they had proven they had no nefarious plans.

While Albus brought the three to the prepared guest rooms, the remaining people waited for him to return.

"What do you think, Prongs?" Sirius muttered softly to his best friend.

James shrugged in reply, clasping Lily's hand tightly in his. "They didn't really answer the questions we wanted to know… like who they are."

"I noticed," Sirius responded. "It makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"It must be difficult for them," Lily commented. "We don't know who they are, but I would swear they recognized at least some of the occupants of this room. And did you notice the reason for dismissing their theory of time travel?"

"Are you saying that they recognize some of us, that they knew our… our analogues? And that they are dead?" Gideon asked, joining their discussion.

"It seems likely," she shrugged.

They turned as Albus walked back into the room.

"Are you calling an Order meeting tonight, Headmaster?" Frank asked. "I imagine there is much to be discussed both about what they revealed – and what they didn't."

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed, I believe I shall. "I believe I will also invite others to attend tomorrow's meeting. It shall prove most illuminating."

Sirius exchanged a look with James and Lily, wondering just what the older man had heard or seen to warrant such a conclusion.

"Now then, I suggest we take a break. I will call for an Order meeting tonight."

***

It had taken a great deal of courage to follow Albus Dumbledore out of the infirmary - not because they feared for their safety but rather they feared for their emotional well-being. Already, Harry had seen the analogues of people he had never thought to see. The pictures he had of his father might have shown him at no older than twenty-one, but there was no mistaking the older version of him that had stood waiting with Albus Dumbledore.

If that had squeezed his heart, it was nothing to what he felt when he saw a healthier Sirius Black. Cedric's death had haunted him because it was the first death he had consciously witnessed and had marked the start of a rather traumatic night. But Sirius… Harry had never lost the sense of responsibility for his death; no one had managed to convince him that if he had practiced _occlumency_ better, or if he had remembered the mirrors, or any of another half-dozen possibilities that Sirius would have lived and not fallen through the Veil. Sirius had represented so many wonderful dreams for Harry and his death had marked the end of his childhood.

Luna and Neville's magic reached towards him, caressing him and offering to him comfort. He accepted it gratefully, knowing he couldn't afford to lose the calm front he projected. They needed to know how this reality differed from their own; whether they would face danger – and from where it would come, whether Voldemort and his Death Eaters still existed. None of them wanted to jeopardize their opportunities for gaining information on their new reality by reacting to the dead. The sad truth was that they couldn't rely on their past experiences with those that wore the faces of friends and the dead. A different reality meant that for all that people might look the same, there was absolutely no guarantee they would act as they did.

Not that Harry had ever truly known his father to predict his actions. He managed to stifle that thought and concentrated on Albus Dumbledore instead.

Dumbledore, Tonks and a tall red head that had the look of Molly Weasley rounded out the rest of the party waiting for them in the infirmary. The possibilities of who else might live in this reality had expanded astronomically with their presences, if only because all the counterparts of all present in the room had died.

 

They followed the headmaster down the halls of Hogwarts, noting that many of the portraits and armor remained the same. Pretending an interest in Dumbledore's conversation had also given all three of them a chance to steel themselves for whatever other revelations might occur.

It turned out to be necessary. Frank Longbottom, Soleil Lovegood and Lily Potter were among those waiting in the room set aside by Dumbledore to meet with the three. Only the strength of will gained from years of battle allowed them to pretend that nothing bothered them.

***

Unlike Harry and Neville, Luna had known her mother before she had died. Soleil Lovegood's death had devastated her small family, leaving a gaping wound that had never fully healed. Her father had retreated into the fantastical and though he cared for Luna and loved her, he didn't know how to deal with a young daughter, traumatized by her mother's death.

It took everything within her to refrain from running to her mother's side and collapsing in sobs. She reminded herself that for all that this was Soleil Lovegood, this was not _her_ mother. Her mother had died when she was nine. It only sort of worked.

If Soleil Lovegood's presence had shaken Luna, than what must the analogues of Harry and Neville's parents do to them, the orphans who never knew their parents? She quickly revised her plan for what to reveal in this meeting.

Before the wards had come down, they had decided to present their theory of how they had arrived and then discuss their own history in the hope of finding when the divergence had occurred. She couldn't do that now, not with the dead staring at her with curious eyes. Bad enough to be greeted by Albus Dumbledore, but the presence of Sirius Black, of the Potters, of Frank Longbottom, of Soleil Lovegood and the Prewett twins and Tonks… too many of their own dead haunted them in this room. Better to delay on their personal history, to give them time to adjust to the revelations of this new reality before they delved into their pasts and revealed just who they were to people who were, in another reality, their parents.

***

Neville didn't know how Luna had managed to keep the conversation on magical theory lasting so long. He was grateful though and felt a similar relief emanating from Harry.

When they had first posited that they had traveled to a different reality, they had hypothesized that they might come across analogues of those they knew in their own reality. He had harbored a dim hope that in this reality his parents had not suffered the awful fate they had in his original one but he had never even thought they might be alive and well. Coming face to face with Frank Longbottom had shaken him. He couldn't help but wonder if his presence meant his mother also lived. He figured Luna wondered the same about her father. And Harry – he not only had both his parents present, but also his godfather. A relief to be sure, even if they had no real idea how they would react to the revelation of their identities.

Discussing the esoteric magical theories that provided the most apt explanation for their arrival had kept the panic at bay. Theory, always tedious even if fascinating, could be drawn out; it was painless and unemotional and did not have the ability to inflict deep emotional wounds that would never heal.

How to tell the people who were your parents but not really your parents, who you were?

A question that echoed dully in Neville's brain, and if he knew his friends, theirs as well.

To have Dumbledore come to their rescue in the end, to grant them their reprieve was unlooked for, but welcome. They gladly took his offer to begin again the next day. To disappear into the comforting seclusion of guest quarters where they could hopefully figure out how to handle the morning.

***

The Order hadn't met in an official capacity for several years. Most of the members socialized together, the bonds of war when they were young having created relationships that the end of the war hadn't touched. A palpable tension filled the air, alerting the members to the serious nature of the meeting. This wasn't a simple excuse to meet with one another under the guise of a potential problem.

"Thank you for coming," Albus stated, starting the meeting. "It has been a while since we gathered. As most of you are aware, we have three guests who appeared in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch last week."

"Have they woken and told you who they are?" Moody asked, having no qualms about cutting Albus short and getting to the heart of the matter. Everyone in the room was aware of the three; nearly half had attempted to break their wards. Reiterating what was known was a waste of time, in his opinion.

A glance around the room revealed that others agreed with Moody's assessment. Albus bemoaned the impatience of youth before answering, "They call themselves 'Phoenix', 'Dragon' and 'Thestral' and they claim Magic sent them here from another reality."

Snorts and exclamations of disbelief followed his revelation and he gave them free reign to express their skepticism. Many began to quiet when they noted that Albus was not the only one remaining quiet, that the Potters, Sirius and the Prewett twins in particular looked serious.

"It's true then?" Marlene McKinnon asked. "Frank had said but… it seems rather fantastical, doesn't it?"

"I am convinced by the theory," Albus replied. "It is also the only explanation that would explain the magical surge both felt by those present when they fell through and recorded by the Department of Mysteries. Unless your inquiries to the other ministries yielded the identities of the three?"

She sighed in reply. "No. None of the other ministries have claimed any knowledge of them. Several have asked for explanations of the magical spike that their sensors picked up when they arrived. No one seems to know who they are."

"Well, who are they then?" Amelia Bones asked.

"They have not given us their true names, just their code names. By the ease with which they did, I believe they are far more used to responding to those names than their own."

"Do you think they have counterparts here?" someone asked.

"It is unlikely," Lily Potter spoke up. "Most theories of dimensional travel seem to believe that two versions of the same people can not exist on the same plane of reality. If Magic sent them here according to what it read in their thoughts, then this reality must not only fit that criteria, but also never had or no longer have a version of them."

"Do you recognize them?" Moody asked. He had only caught a glimpse of them, but even that had yielded some interesting clues towards the identities of the two males.

"I have my suspicions," Albus answered, holding up his hand to forestall further inquiries. "I do not want to prejudice you before they have revealed themselves. They will do so tomorrow."

"Did they reveal anything else?" Molly Weasley asked. While she had no children in the school, she still worried for the students.

"They were in a war directly before Magic sent them here," her brother Gideon answered. "They look like they're dangerous."

"Is the school safe?" Hestia wanted to know.

"Hogwarts does not sense a threat from them," Albus replied and Minerva nodded in agreement. As Deputy Headmistress, she was also tied to the wards of Hogwarts and could sense potential threats to the school or her students. Whoever the three were, the Hogwarts seemed to like them.

"Still, Albus, we can't risk the students like this," Marlene stated.

"They are escorted everywhere they go. House elves are currently keeping a watch on their assigned guest quarters and I cast a monitoring and recording charm on their room. Shall we see what they are up to?" Albus suggested. Nods all around caused him to raise his wand and mutter the incantation that would allow them to observe their guests without them knowing.

***

"… it's so hard. I see Sirius and all I want to do is punch him and hug him and yell at him about how _stupid_ he was to not take his bitch of a cousin seriously." Eyebrows rose at that. Whoever they were, one of them had at least known Sirius and apparently was close to him. The sheer emotion in the voice certainly indicated that.

"It doesn't help that we're all seeing people who were dead in our world now alive," another voice said softly.

Someone snorted. "How do you go up to parents you don't even remember except through pictures or through the stories of others and tell them you're their son? Hell! We don't even know if we have counterparts in this universe!" Gasps were heard as everyone in the Headmaster's office locked eyes. Could it be?

"It will be all right," a dreamy feminine voice stated with conviction. "Magic wouldn't have brought us here if we wouldn't fit in."

"Merlin, I hope you're right, Thestral. I don't think any of us could take it if they reject us," the original voice said, his voice cracking on a sob. James looked at Sirius, almost embarrassed to be hearing this. It seemed wrong to be listening to something like this when the three travelers had obviously tried to hard to prevent anyone from knowing their pain.

"Hush, my Phoenix. It will be." Soft sounds could be heard, too soft to distinguish what was being said; they assumed it was sounds of comfort until a groan and gasp of passion could be heard. "Merlin!" one of the men groaned. "Hush, our Phoenix; let us take care of you," the woman said in what could only be described as a wicked tone.

"Ahem," Albus said, pink tinting his cheeks as he abruptly cancelled the spell that had allowed them to eavesdrop on their guests.

"Oh my!" Minerva stated, blinking at what they had heard. James almost choked on the tea he had been sipping. No one else really wanted to look at each other. It was one thing to monitor their conversations, another to hear them _In flagrante delicato_. And really, those who had heard their theory on why they had arrived here should have known better: it had been obvious by the condition in which they arrived and their obfuscation when talking about their arrival that they had been through difficult times. All three had acted as each of those in this office had once upon a time… during the war with Voldemort. If they believed the visitors, then they too had been fighting a dark lord on par with Voldemort before magic had sent them here.

The problem was that two of them looked like the adult versions of two who had been dead for twenty years. For twenty-one years, little Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom had been hailed as the Saviors of the Wizarding world. And while witches and wizards throughout Britain rejoiced at the downfall of the darkest wizard since Grindewald, the Potters and Longbottoms and their friends mourned the loss of their sons. Twenty-one years had not dulled the loss and despite both couples going on to have more children, no one could ever replace their firstborns.

He and Lily had talked it over with Sirius and Remus before the Order meeting. Given the looks exchanged by Frank and Alice, he had done the same with his wife. James couldn't deny that a part of him desperately wanted Phoenix to be Harry James Potter, that in some universe, his son had lived. Lily felt the same. And yet, they both knew that this wouldn't be their son, even if he somehow carried the same name. Their son lay in his grave, as he had since his death twenty-one years ago.

It was a very vexing situation all around.

Albus cleared his throat again. "Ah yes. Perhaps we should reconvene tomorrow morning? I believe our guests will be more forthcoming than they were today," he suggested delicately. The others nodded in agreement, most of them numb with the events of the last few days. As they each headed to their quarters they could only hope tomorrow yielded more answers.

***

For the first time in a long time, Harry felt warm. It wasn't the warmth of a warming charm, though Merlin knew he had used that more times than he could count these last years. No, it was the warmth of safety, of comfort; of knowing nothing would try and kill him upon waking.

It was rather odd. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way and it confused him enough to force him out of the half-sleep state in which he lay. He found himself in the arms of Luna and Neville, both still asleep. Just as suddenly, he remembered all that had happened – the battle, defeating Riddle, finding himself in a different reality, seeing his family alive and well here, and the decision to let them sleep until morning before disclosing exactly how their reality differed from the one in which they currently found themselves.

Wide awake now, he climbed out of the bed, taking care not to wake his two partners, smiling softly as they curled into each other. He was glad Luna and Neville were with him. They were two of the finest in his command. As he moved to the bathroom, he mused that they were no longer under his command, seeing as the war was over. The grin that covered his face felt strange – he hadn't had a reason to smile for far too long. Hopefully, that would all change now.

***

The three strangers entered the room and like the day before, made sure to sit in the most defensible positions available in the room. Moody gave a grunt of approval upon noticing the way they kept both the wands and smaller weapons in easy reach. He moved so that he could cover the one they called Phoenix – he was the real danger.

Eyes twinkling madly, Albus gestured for the rest of the guests and professors to sit in the remaining chairs. He had decided that more of the Order should participate in today's discussion than yesterday's. If it bothered the three, they did not make it known. The Order slowly filled the chairs and looked with expectation towards the Headmaster to begin while covertly (or not so covertly) staring at the three strangers sitting in the corner, seeing as how most of them had had only a glimpse of them in the last week. "Well now that we are all here and well-rested, perhaps you would tell us your story?" he asked them, ignoring the sudden blushes that bloomed on his companions as they remember just _how_ well rested the three were.

The three looked at each other, seeming to communicate without words, much as they had done yesterday, before the leader spoke. "I'll start since most of what we will tell you involves me." Thestral grasped his hand, holding it in comfort, while Dragon gripped his knee tightly for a moment to show his support.

"Right then. Our story starts in the early summer of 1980. Albus Dumbledore decided to interview a potential teacher for the Divination post. As he later told me, he only did so out of respect for her ancestress, a renowned Seer. Truthfully, he doubted her abilities and had hoped to get rid of the position all together. Just as he was about to inform her that the Divination class at Hogwarts was to be no more, she stated a prophecy. The gist of it was that a child born to parents who had thrice defied the Dark Lord," (Phoenix grimaced as he raised hands to quote that title) "would be born at the end of July and, after being marked by him, had the potential to kill him. Unfortunately, a Death Eater overheard the first part of the prophecy and managed to tell good old Voldie the news."

At this point, Dragon took up the story. "Both the Headmaster and Voldemort watched St. Mungos to see who the likely candidate would be. At the end of July, two children were born to parents, both of whom were loyal members of the Order of the Phoenix, parents who had defied Voldie three times. The two couples went under the Fidelius charm. To make a long story short, one family chose the wrong person as secret keeper and he betrayed them to Voldemort."

"My father tried to hold Voldemort off to give his wife a chance to escape with their son. Voldemort killed him and made his way to the nursery, where my mum held me after trying and failing to escape. He offered to let her live, if she would just give him her son. She refused, and he killed her. He then tried to kill the boy, but the Killing Curse bounced off of him, destroying Voldermort's body. He lived as a wraith for over thirteen years before he managed to get himself a new body," Phoenix concluded.

"And what happened to the boy?" Lily asked.

"He lived. Was sent to live with his only living relatives, Petunia and Vernon Dursley," Phoenix responded.

"Oh, Merlin," Lily cried, tears appearing in her eyes. James grimly held her hand, shock reverberating in his body. He had hoped – oh how they had both hoped! – but to hear it…

"You're Harry Potter," he accused gruffly, needing the confirmation despite knowing that the chances of someone else having in-laws named Dursley were slim.

A terse nod was his reply. Pained, James closed his eyes; exclamations echoed in the room – one of the Saviors was here. How extraordinary!

"And your companions?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling with pleasure.

"Luna Lovegood, daughter of Xeno and Soleil Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, son of Frank and Alice Longbottom," Harry replied emotionlessly. While Xeno and Soleil were not present, Frank and Alice were and reacted much the same as the Potters had.

Albus quietly called Fawkes to him and sent him to pick up Xeno and Soleil. They deserved to meet their alternate reality daughter. He knew they had wanted children and only the curse left on Soleil had prevented it. Fawkes flamed away and he returned to observing the room.

Most of the occupants chattered excitedly amongst themselves, astounded to find themselves in the presence of their Saviors. The legend that had grown up around Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom had risen to epic proportions, despite the best efforts of the families involved. Simply put, the Light Side could not afford to let the whole truth out: horcruxes were a dangerous business and the less people knew about them the better. Not even everyone in the Order knew the lengths Voldemort had gone to ensure his immortality. Thus, the Potters and Longbottom had reluctantly agreed to allow the mythology that had emerged about the two boys – the Wizarding world needed its heroes.

He waited until the Lovegoods arrived, quickly informed them of the presence of their counterpart's daughter and then called the room to order. He noticed that the affected families had congregated to the same area, relying on mutual support to ease their shock. To his dismay, the inter-dimensional travelers had remained isolated from the room at large, continuing to keep to themselves as well as doing their best to ignore the stares from everyone else in the room. This wouldn't do; if nothing else, he didn't want to scare them away.

Clapping his hands, he unleashed his magic just enough to gain everyone's attention. Not surprisingly, the first to react were the travelers. Their sensitivity to magic seemed truly astounding and he couldn't wait to discuss it with them.

"Perhaps, we can continue?" he suggested, his eyes warning that continued discussion would need to wait. It took a while, but eventually everyone calmed down. "Now then, you said that Voldemort remained as a wraith for thirteen years before he managed to regain a body?"

"Yes," Neville responded. He carefully did not look in the direction of his parents. Both he and Luna had seemed to draw even with Harry, protecting him from a hurt only they understood. Or perhaps, they all relied on the strength of each other to guard them – Albus noted how Harry's hand lightly touched Neville's leg. "In 1995, he came back, though the Ministry denied it for a full year. They finally had to admit it when Voldemort appeared at the Ministry. The War continued to simmer, with Voldemort preparing his forces for another year. By the end of my sixth year, Voldemort had arranged for our Dumbledore's death. Hogwarts remained open for another year, before it fell."

"We fought a guerilla war. The Death Eaters had infiltrated the Ministry completely and persecuted Muggleborns, Muggles and any who didn't support them. We did our best to smuggle out the Muggleborns who wouldn't or couldn't fight. We trained, we fought, and we did our best to keep Voldemort from fully defeating the Light."

"Eventually, we managed to rally enough forces for a Final Battle. We all knew it was our last stand, but we hoped it would be successful. Voldemort took our bait and arrived with his forces and we engaged in battle. In end, we won and Magic brought the three of us here."

"Why here?" Minerva asked the one question everyone had but were too afraid to ask.

The three communicated with each other without words before Harry responded. "The only real thought I had as I confronted Voldemort in the end was that I would at last be with my parents, with Sirius and Moony – with my family. We think that Magic interpreted it as a desire to be sent to a reality where version of my parents and godfathers still lived."

"Why did it also send the other two here?" Tonks asked. She quailed at the looks sent her way from various occupants of the room. "What? From the way they explained it yesterday, it doesn't make sense that Luna and Neville came here as well if Magic responded solely to Harry's wish."

"We wanted to be with Harry," Neville answered, his voice cold. It wasn't that the question itself bothered him; rather, he didn't like how many people were in the room, hearing their story. He wanted his parents – even if they weren't quite his parents – to hear his life story first, to understand what had shaped him into the man he was. And certainly, he wasn't about to explain the complex relationship he held with Luna and Harry, not to this large group of people.

"A commendable notion, I'm sure," Albus said, disarming the tension before it could erupt. "And now you are here, which is lovely for the counterparts to your parents."

"Yes," Luna agreed. "It is… comforting to see some familiar faces." It was the best she could say, given the circumstances. Comforting to see those they thought or knew dead, but also disconcerting, for very much the same reason.

"What happened to Voldemort here?" Harry asked with a voice raspy with some unnamed emotion. He desperately needed to know whether his enemy still lived in this reality.

"Voldemort was killed twenty-one years ago, after he killed Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom."

"Both possible prophecy children?" Harry sounded incredulous.

"Yes. The Potters and Longbottoms entrusted their sons to the care of a family friend while they helped with an Order operation. The friend betrayed the location to Voldemort and he attempted to kill the two boys. While he succeeded, the backlash from doing so killed him," Albus explained, telling the well-known story so that the affected parents did not have to do so themselves.

"I see," Harry said, sensing that there was something more to the story than Dumbledore let on, but willing to let it slide for now. Later though, he would need to know more – especially if there was any hint that Voldemort had used horcruxes in this reality as he had in his former reality. Only then could he truly relax and accept the gift Magic had given to him.

Perhaps sensing that the three travelers had reached their limit with providing information to the Order, Albus again took control of the meeting. Whilst he would dearly love to discuss further differences between this reality and theirs, he could also see the emotional strain the Potters, their friends, the Longbottoms and even the Lovegoods felt at the day's revelations. "I believe we should allow the families to reunite with each other," he suggested, a twinkling smile on his face. "I'm sure that any further questions can be asked and answered at a later date."

The grateful looks sent to him by the families conveyed more than words could how much they desired time alone with those who were their children, except they weren't.

He wished them luck as he followed the last of the stragglers out.

***

An awkward silence descended as the door shut behind Dumbledore. No one seemed to know what to say or how to begin. But then, what _could_ you say to analogues of your family, family that had died for members of both realities.

Exhibiting a courage that had allowed him to keep publishing anti-Voldemort articles until his death, Xeno Lovegood made the first move. He cleared his throat awkwardly, not quite sure what to say to the daughter he and his wife had never had. "This must be trying for you," he offered sympathetically.

Luna's lip trembled as tears filled her eyes. She missed her parents and for all that she knew the two people standing before her were not the same, it didn't seem to matter. She nodded, unable to speak.

"Your mother and I, we were unable to have children," Xeno continued, his arm around his wife's waist, Soleil leaning into him for comfort. "Death Eater curse, towards the end of the war."

"What happened to us?" Alice asked, her tremulous voice asking the one question she and Frank desperately needed answered. If Lily and James had died, why had Harry not gone to her? Or Sirius and Remus? Why the Dursleys?

"The LeStranges and Crouch, Junior tortured my parents into insanity. They were permanent residents in the Long Term Care Ward of St. Mungos, until the Death Eaters decided to get rid of all its residents four years ago. I was raised by my grandmother, who was killed a little over two years ago," Neville stiffly informed her.

"Merlin," Frank gasped and Alice turned into his chest, sobbing at the fate of their counterparts and a child who had never truly known his parents.

Harry sighed; he knew there was a better way to handle this, but no one was willing to put themselves forward to do so. Neville and Luna deserved to know the people who were their parents, especially given the way they acted – they clearly wanted to know their alternate reality children. 'This is why I was general,' he reminded himself as he stepped forward, leading Luna by the hand and bringing her to where the Lovegoods stood. "Mr. Lovegood, Mrs. Lovegood, this is Luna. She was sorted into Ravenclaw. Her mother was killed in a spell accident when she was nine. Her father was a brilliant reporter, who did his best to print the truth about Voldemort, his Death Eaters and the Ministry, before it led to his death." Xeno, at least, seemed to grasp what Harry was doing, and he gently made room for Luna in the embrace in which he held his wife. Luna trembled in his arms as he hugged her, his wife also doing so and closed his eyes.

Always, he and Soleil had regretted that they could not have children. Luna was not theirs, but was and it seemed an unasked for miracle. It also felt right, to hold her in their arms.

Harry moved back, allowing the Lovegoods their space to facilitate their reunion. He turned towards Neville and cocked his head, raising an eyebrow to see if Neville would grab _his_ Gryffindor courage and introduce himself to his parents. Neville grimaced – though only he or Luna would be able to tell – and shuffled forward to where the Longbottoms sat, clutching each other's hands.

"It is an honor to meet you," he said with a stiff bow. Harry just shook his head as Neville defaulted to the formal training his grandmother had instilled in him growing up in the face of an uncertain reception. By the slight smile that appeared on Mr. Longbottom's face, Harry assumed he recognized the move.

The Longbottoms didn't stand on formality amongst family, for all that Augusta Longbottom did her best to uphold the standards of her youth, and whilst this Neville might not be _their_ Neville, he was _a_ Neville. A son they didn't have a hand in raising, but who was still their son and they desperately wanted to claim him as such.

"We're very happy you are here, Neville," Frank said instead, not wanting to scare him away, but also wanting him to know that they very much welcomed him into their family. Harry turned away, smiling slightly at that and happy for both his friends and comrades.

He found the Potters staring at him. With Luna and Neville sorted out, he had no excuse to continue avoiding the ghosts that wore his parent's faces. He slowly walked forward; he both dreaded and desperately wanted this, the dream of every orphan. Except, he was so used to such dreams not turning out well that he couldn't help but feel wary with each step.

The Potters remained patient, standing stock still as he came closer. Emerald green eyes, the same shade as his own, gleamed with tears and the brown eyes of his father seemed suspiciously bright. Harry stopped within arm's reach and rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands against his trouser legs. "Hello," he finally said, his voice cracking with suppressed emotion.

"Harry," Lily said, her own voice breaking as she half-sobbed his name. "My son," she continued, her voice brooking no argument, and pulling him into her embrace. He stiffly moved, not quite sure how to react, but slowly, he raised his arms to encircle her as well. As his head leaned down and rested against her neck, he could smell a scent that he could have sworn he was too young to remember: lilacs and talc. He closed his eyes in the sudden rush of emotion he felt. For the first time in longer than he could remember, Harry felt at home.

***

Lily rested her head on James' chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat grounding her just as the arms he kept around her did. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

He shrugged in reply. "It's hard to believe, isn't it? That our son has somehow made it here." While he knew this Harry wasn't precisely his son, he refused to deny what his heart felt. The man was Harry James Potter, son to Lily and James and by Merlin he would claim him as such.

"He's so hard," Lily commented.

"He's been fighting a war."

"Do you think he was involved that much?" Even as she asked it, she knew the answer; while all three had glossed over the war, sticking to a quick summary, they had not hidden that Harry had gone against Voldemort in the end. James remained quiet, not seeing the need to answer what she already knew. "What are we going to do?"

"We support him. Give him what he'll let us. Let him know we want him a part of our family."

"I just want to take him home with us and never let him out of my sight," Lily confessed.

"So do I. But we do that and we lose him. You saw how skittish he is – they all are, really."

She nodded slowly, letting the soothing touch of James stroking her hair calm her. "What did Sirius say?"

"He confirmed what I thought; he left because of what we overheard last night. He didn't want us to have to compete for his attention."

"He's a good friend."

"Yeah, he really is. I think he's looking forward to getting to know his godson."

"And Remus?"

"He's still in shock."

"We have to tell the kids." She had avoided thinking about it, but she couldn't keep doing that. Their two daughters needed to know about Harry. Before the _Prophet_ or _Quibbler_ broke it.

"Tomorrow," James promised. "We'll tell them tomorrow."

***

"Have you told your mother?" Alice asked. Augusta had never really recovered from the loss of her first grandchild.

"I'm still terrified it's all a dream," Frank replied. "It sounds so fantastical, like one of those old myths. Magic sent them here? How could it?"  
"I don't know. But I'm thankful it did," Alice answered. "We have our son back, Frank."

"I know," he agreed. "He's pretty amazing, isn't he?"

"He looks like you."

"Maybe, but he has your nose and chin," Frank insisted.

"Do you think he'll let us in?" Alice asked. Despite their best efforts, Neville had retained an air of formality in all their interactions with each other.

"I think he just needs time to adjust. Like us. If our counterparts were in St. Mungos… I can't imagine he knows how to react to us."

She sighed. "You're right. I just…" She trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"I know," Frank said, squeezing her shoulders in comfort. "I suppose we just need to be patient."

Easier said than done, but they had lost their child once before and they didn't want to ruin this miracle. They could wait until he was comfortable.

***

"What are you thinking, my Sun?" Xeno asked his wife as they lay in bed trying to sleep. His own thoughts acted like a whirligig, flitting from one topic to another, one _emotion_ to another, trying to come to grips with what he had learned this afternoon.

"We have a daughter," she replied, her mellifluous voice echoing his chaotic thoughts. "Xeno… she's just like us. A perfect mix."

"Why do you think we are so lucky? To gain a daughter when we've had none?"

"Prophecies work in mysterious ways. And the three of them have a bond, even if its not a formal one," Soleil answered. "I'm just grateful to have this chance."

"Me too." Despite this, his thoughts and worries would not rest. He did not know how to be a father and for all that Luna came to them fully grown, he now found himself one.

"It won't be easy," Soleil cautioned. "Unlike her two boys, she had parents and remembers them. We have to be careful, make sure we're not pushing them out in favor of ourselves."

"We'll manage. We always do."

***

Neville tried to sleep; he wasn't succeeding very well. His mind kept returning to the day's events. It was one thing to meet one's father, to know that he existed in this reality and an entirely other thing to inform him and your mother that you are their son, just not from around here. To see his parents so vibrant and full of emotion was such a contrast with his last memory of them. Death Eaters led by Rabastan LeStrange had gleefully executed the long-term care patients at St. Mungos after they had cemented their hold on the Ministry and most of Wizarding Britain. Supposedly, Voldemort had allowed it as a terror tactic, frustrated by the continued success – small as they might be – of Harry's Resistance.

They had discovered the plot too late to prevent it but Harry and Luna had gathered the Weasley twins and Susan Bones to aid them in crafting a plan to capture, interrogate and then execute Rabastan. It had worked, to the surprise of the remnants of the Order, who still had trouble remembering that Harry had stepped into the role they had pushed him into. It had also signaled the start of a split, with those who thought killing captured Death Eaters brought them to the same level as those they fought and those who had begun to realize that the only way for the Light to prevail was to change their tactics.

He felt guilty, he realized. Guilty that he wanted to know these people who were Alice and Frank Longbottom, who had given birth to a son named Neville whom they had loved. They weren't his parents. Couldn't be his parents, because they hadn't sacrificed themselves to protect him. He couldn't reconcile the two feelings inside him.

"Hey," Harry muttered, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're still thinking."

"It must be obvious, if even you can tell," Neville joked.

"Ha, ha," Harry responded. "You looked upset, earlier."

"I guess I am, in a way."

"Because of your parents?"

"Yeah. I mean, they're not really my parents, are they?" He hated how uncertain he felt.

"They didn't give birth to you, no. And they didn't protect you from the Lestranges."

"I think we're going to have to decide how we're going to handle this," Luna spoke up. Neville hadn't even realized she had woken. "For all of us, our parents – the ones from our reality – they were important. And now we're faced with seeing them again, except they lived when ours died."

"It probably doesn't help that Neville and I were killed instead of my mum and dad. And your parents never even had children. So they don't really have anyone to compare to us, not like we do," Harry commented.

"Exactly."

"They seem to want us," Neville began tentatively. "They… they asked me if I wanted to live with them."

Harry snorted. "We're still on war footing. I don't see how we can live with anyone we're not comfortable with, without hexing them."

"There is that," Neville commented. "But still. I don't know what to do."

"We don't need to decide now," Luna reminded him. "We just got here. We need to get to know them. We need to get to know this reality, see how it differs from home."

"We should also try and find out whether Voldie ever used horcruxes here and if they've been taken care of," Harry sighed. "I had hoped I was done with all that."

"We'll be with you," Luna promised.

"I know. You've done so for a while now."

"Maybe we can see if the Potters will let us stay at that house we used… what was it? Two years ago? In the Lake Country?" Neville suggested. "We can do some research from there, get to know our… families."

"It's a good idea," Luna agreed.

"I can ask, when we're allowed out of here," Harry said. "How long do you think they'll keep us at Hogwarts?"

"Depends on who runs the Ministry," Neville answered. "Maybe another week? They'll have to establish our identities in this reality. They'll also probably make a big announcement."

"Great," Harry grumbled. Then he seemed to brighten as he had a sudden thought. "Hey, I bet Neville gets throw into the spotlight since his counterpart is known as one of the Saviors of the Wizarding world. It's not just me, this time."

Neville frowned as he realized Harry was likely right. Just what he wanted; attention on him while he tried to figure out what exactly he wanted to do with the analogue's of his parents.

"It will be better in the morning," Luna insisted. "You should sleep." She pressed a kiss against his mouth, Harry following suit, before settling back into his arms. It didn't take long for all three of them to drift back to sleep, lulled by the comfortable and warm bed.

***

A brief discussion with the Minister and the Board of Governors and Albus received permission to announce the identities of Harry, Neville and Luna. He seemed rather excited, though Minerva had some reservations about it.

"Have you spoken with the families at all about this?" she asked.

"I will mention it to them," he insisted.

"Before or after?" she pushed, knowing how he had a tendency to do as he wanted, if he believed it for the 'greater good.'

"Do you think it matters?" He sounded genuinely curious and it took all her self-possession not to shake her head at his naivety. How one of the greatest wizards of the modern era did not understand simple human interactions at times continued to baffle her.

"Yes, Albus, I do believe it will. The three youngsters have just come out of a war and by their sparse descriptions they were in the thick of it. How do you think they will react to the children who come up to them simply because two of them are the Saviors? Hmm? How do you think parents will react if their children end up in the infirmary because of that? And what of the Potter and Longbottom children? I think their parents might want to inform them first of their new siblings."

"I hadn't thought of that," Albus hummed. "I believe the Potters, Longbottoms and Lovegoods are meant to arrive later today to meet with their children. I shall discuss this with them."

"Good," Minerva stated. She paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts properly. "I am worried about the three," she finally said. "Has anyone given any thought as to what they will do, once the novelty of a new reality has set in?"

Albus looked at her over his spectacles, his blue eyes serious. "It is my hope that they will bond with their parents, even if they are not truly each other's kin. It is why I am allowing them to remain at Hogwarts and letting the families visit so often."

"I had wondered," Minerva commented. "Do you think they will?"

"It is possible. They are very difficult to read. I do believe if Hogwarts and Fawkes had not indicated a strong affection for them I might have agreed for their transfer out of Hogwarts that first night."

"Are they dangerous?"

"They are warriors in a way our world has not seen in decades, but I believe they have much to teach us. Given time, they will call this reality their home."

***

True to their word, the Potters and Longbottoms brought their younger children with them the next day to meet the alternate reality versions of Harry and Neville. All of the children were excited to meet their alternate siblings and held a mixture of feelings: awe because of the legend that surrounded them from the end of the last war; curiosity since they had been raised on the story of how their brothers had died saving the Wizarding world and here they were, adults and looking as if they belonged with them; excitement at the thought of having older siblings who were adults and not kids like them; happiness since it made their parents happy to have them back, even if they weren't precisely their sons. And yes, a little jealous that their parents devoted so much worry and concern towards them.

"Harry, this is Althea and Astrid," Lily introduced her two girls to him. "Althea is a fifth year Gryffindor and Astrid is a second year."

"Gryffindor, huh?" Harry asked, a small smile playing on his lips. "Seems like it's a family tradition."

"You were in Gryffindor?" Astrid boldly asked.

"Yep. So was Neville. Luna though, she was a Ravenclaw," Harry told them.

"Did you play Quidditch?" Althea asked, wanting some of Harry's attention on her.

"Of course," he smiled. "Professor McGonagall made me Seeker my first year."

"You played Quidditch as a first year?" James interrupted. He looked shocked. "But first years aren't allowed brooms!"

"Professor McGonagall really wanted the House cup outside of Slytherin hands, so bent the rule for me," Harry admitted. He then launched into how he had become the Gryffindor Seeker. At their urging, he described his first game and then subsequent ones. Lily noted how he seemed to relax as the conversation continued, though he still looked wary and kept glancing around to make sure he knew where everyone and everything was. It broke her heart, to see him not even relaxing in Hogwarts, surely the safest place in all of Britain.

"I stopped playing after my fifth year," Harry commented. "I do miss playing." He looked wistful.

"You should play a pick up game here!" Althea enthused.

"Maybe," Harry said in a noncommittal tone. "I don't know how much longer we'll be remaining here at Hogwarts."

"Where will you go?" Lily asked.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you and um… Mr. Potter something," Harry responded. He reddened as he stumbled over what to call them and it broke Lily's heart a bit further.

"You can call me James," her husband said, his voice gruff with suppressed emotion.

Harry nodded in understanding, relieved in a way that they did not want him to call them 'mum' and 'dad' – at least not yet. "Well, in my reality, the Potters owned a house out in the Lake Country."

"You mean the Summer Cottage?" James clarified, his brows drawn into a frown as he scrolled through the list of properties the Potters owned in his head.

"I guess. I never knew the name of it, just the location," Harry shrugged. "At any rate, you've probably noted that Neville, Luna and I are… a bit twitchy around people."

They nodded, having seen how wary all three acted at all times.

"We… the war started seven years ago and we've been fighting almost continuously for five. Given who I was, and then what Neville and Luna took on by becoming my lieutenants, we're used to hexing first, asking questions later – especially if we're taken by surprise."

He shrugged, his grin a bit lopsided. "We're on hair triggers and we need to learn how not to be before we hurt someone we don't mean to. We used that house a couple of years back for a brief spell. Sort of a safe house while our squad recuperated after a harsh campaign."

"I have no objections if you want to use it," James agreed. "I can send a couple of house elves to get it ready for you."

Harry nodded his thanks, relieved that he had agreed. They could of course, simply buy their own house but they wanted to wait and see what this world had to offer beforehand. Plus, the Summer Cottage had wards of its own that would merely need recharging, not built from scratch. They still had not recovered all their magic and did not want to waste what they had on something like wards when they didn't know what might come at them.

***

"What will you and your friends do, now that you are here?" Xeno asked.

Luna tilted her head, causing her long blonde hair – worn loose for the occasion – to cascade over her shoulder. "We haven't really decided yet," she admitted. "Harry's going to see if we can stay at one of the Potter homes for a while so we can decide."

"Good, good," Xeno replied, his mind racing a bit as he tried to find another topic to pursue.

"The Department of Mysteries would probably hire you," Soleil commented. "They are most intrigued by the wards you used in the infirmary."

"Perhaps." Luna looked a bit vague, her eyes losing their sharp focus. "I don't know if all of us would like the research."

"There are aspects that don't involve research."

She shrugged in response. "We've been in a war for the last seven years. I think we want to try and relax first, before we decide what we want in the future. Besides, we're not poor."

"What?" Xeno asked, a bit confused by that.

"We carried our funds with us," Luna stated, as if it were the most logical explanation in the world. "Harry has the Potter and Black fortunes, Neville, the Longbottom one and while Daddy wasn't nearly as well-off as they, he still left me very well set." She deliberately didn't add in the fortunes they took by right of conquest before Gringotts had imploded or outright stole. No need to confuse them further – or let on just how much they had.

"Oh," Soleil said, not really knowing how to respond to that information. She hadn't really thought about it, but it made sense that Luna might reassure them that they wouldn't have to support their alternate reality children. She was also surprised at the pang of hurt she felt, that they were denied that opportunity. It seemed like something a parent would do.

***

As several of the Order members had privately commented amongst themselves, Neville looked just like his younger brother, Nigel – except he had scars and a battle-worn appearance that the younger boy lacked. Slightly shorter than Neville, with a less broad physique, he had the same round face as Neville, the same eyes (though they were warmer and far more innocent) and the same nose. There was no mistaking the two as anything but siblings. Neville personally found it quite strange to see an almost doppelganger version of himself. He didn't know what Nigel thought, though the boy seemed quite excited to meet him.

"Everyone's been wondering, of course," he chattered, seemingly at ease in the presence of his alternate reality brother. "No one's known who you three were. The Headmaster kept everyone away from the infirmary, unless we really needed Madame Pomfrey, and even then, she usually treated people outside the infirmary."

Neville raised an eyebrow as Nigel continued to chatter about Hogwarts and their arrival and the rumors surrounding it. Alice and Frank looked on with indulgence as Nigel finished his monologue by asking what House Neville had been Sorted into at his Hogwarts.

"Gryffindor, actually," Neville responded. Judging by the colors that Nigel wore, his brother was a Hufflepuff. He found it mildly ironic that Nigel had gotten into the House that Neville had feared he would. Apparently, this reality's Frank and Alice had no qualms about their child getting into a House other than Gryffindor. Of course, while they had suffered the loss of one son, his grandmother had wanted him to live up to his father's image. Very different environments.

"What was your favorite subject?" Nigel continued.

"Herbology," Neville admitted. "It might have been Defense, but except for third year, all our professors were terrible."

"Really?" Frank asked. "But Defense is so important!"

He shrugged in response. "I don't rightly understand it myself, but we never had a Defense teacher stay past a year. Eventually, we started teach ourselves, since the Defense professors weren't."

"Then, of course, once the war really started, we picked up what we could, as it came to us. Moony and Tonks taught us a lot. Bill &amp; Fleur Weasley helped with cursebreaking. Professor McGonagall made sure we finished learning the basics of transfiguration and Professor Flitwick did the same with charms."

"What about school?" Alice asked.

"Hogwarts ceased operating as a school after my sixth year. It became more of a refugee center than anything else, until Voldemort destroyed it."

"Merlin! It's so difficult to imagine something like that happening," she commented.

"I don't know what it was like here, but in our reality, a lot of the Death Eaters pled _Imperious_ and got off – after a suitable bribe," Neville explained bitterly. "Fudge was an utter moron and in the pocket of several of Voldemort's top lieutenants. By the time the War really began, he had slashed Auror funding to such an extent that they were really only fielding two or three squads and nearly half their force were DEs anyway. Wands were monitored; huge swathes of Britain were too. Voldemort ruled by proxy for a while and people found it easy to accept that, especially since the DEs concentrated on Muggles and Muggleborns at first. It was really only when they turned their attention to the rest of Wizarding Britain that more started to care and fight back."

"Voldemort was obsessed with Hogwarts and since it was also the best known of the Light's command posts, he had good reason to try and destroy it. Frankly, some of us were more surprised it hadn't happened earlier in the War."

No one really knew what to say to that. Neville's experiences were so different from anything they had lived through. Yes, Alice and Frank had fought against Voldemort over twenty years ago, but that War, as vicious as it had been, did not seem nearly as harsh as the one Neville described. Certainly, Hogwarts had never seemed in danger and the Ministry, while coming close to falling, hadn't actually done so.

Frank volunteered the one piece of information that he could. "After Voldemort… died," he stumbled as the subject was quite sensitive to him, "some of his followers claimed _Imperious_, but the Ministry tested for it and forced all defendants to take veritaserum at their trials. Most of them ended up in Azkaban."

"Can't say I'm upset to hear that," Neville admitted. "Who is Minister?"

"Marlene McKinnon," Frank answered. "I'm one of her Undersecretaries, actually."

"She was in the Order, right?" Neville asked.

"Yes. She lost a lot of her family to the DEs and after Bagnold did very little in the direct aftermath of Voldemort's fall, she campaigned for Minister. People were angry and she got elected," Alice explained.

Put out at being ignored, Nigel interrupted. "Are you going to live with mum and dad?"

The question echoed in the suddenly silent room. It wasn't that Frank and Alice hadn't thought about offering Neville a place to live, rather they hadn't wanted to push, since they didn't really know what type of relationship they would end up having with their quasi-son. And Neville, he didn't know how he felt about the Longbottoms, whether living with them would constitute a betrayal to his own parents. Plus, he didn't know what Luna and Harry wanted and they were a team.

"I'm not quite sure," he replied before Frank and Alice could. "I know Harry was going to see if we could borrow one of the Potter properties for a time, while we adjust to living here. I suppose we'll make a decision once we're comfortable."

"You're very close to the other two?" Alice carefully asked, not letting the small pang of hurt surface. The empathy that made her such a great Healer helped her to understand his hesitation at accepting her and Frank as substitute parents.

He nodded. "Oh, yes. I would follow Harry anywhere. And he would do anything within his power for me. Luna and I've been together since her fifth year." He didn't add how Harry had joined them, brought in at Luna's insistence after the last spectacular blow up with the Weasleys. They didn't need to know that now. Maybe later, if it came up.

"How fortuitous then that Magic brought all three of you here," Frank said.

"Yes, it was."

***

Albus gathered the families to him the evening before he made his announcement. "Minister McKinnon has agreed that I should inform the students of our guests' identities," he began. "I was planning on doing so tonight."

Harry just shook his head in a resigned fashion. "We're not expected to say anything, are we?"

"No, no," Albus smiled in a grandfatherly manner. "I shall simply introduce you three. After that, you can take your meals with the staff at the Head Table, if you wish, or walk around the grounds and halls of Hogwarts."

It would be nice to have access to more than their guest quarters, as nice as they were. The space was starting to get confining and their inability to leave without an escort painfully reminded all three of being prisoners.

"When will the _Prophet_ and _Quibbler_ publish the information?" James asked.

"Tomorrow, I believe," Albus answered, looking to Xeno for confirmation.

"I have prepared a special edition," Xeno corroborated.

"Now then, I believe all the families should be present," Albus said. "Let us proceed to the Great Hall. Dinner will begin shortly." He ignored the general lack of excitement at his announcement, knowing just as they did that the longer they waited to reveal the identities, the more absurd the rumors would become. Already, he had heard some of the most outlandish stories concerning the three. He could only be grateful a fourth had not traveled with them: disproving that they were the Founders brought forward through time would be all the more difficult.

***

It didn't take long for Harry and the others to take advantage of their freedom after Dumbledore introduced them to the student body of Hogwarts. As nice as the guest quarters were – and clearly, the house elves had gone out of their way to ensure they had one of the nicer ones – it had started to feel a prison, no matter how gilded. The ability to stand outside in the fresh air with the sun shining down on them, felt intoxicating and all three breathed deeply of it. And while a large part of their minds kept a wary watch for the enemy, the soothing presence of Hogwarts allowed them to relax a fraction. Before the school's destruction, it had represented one of the few places the Light side could afford to dally outside of a protective edifice. For years, they had skulked in the shadows and within safe houses, only seeing the outside when they went on raids or ran from Voldemort and his forces or traveled to distant places looking for horcruxes, in which case they always had to keep watch to ensure no one followed them.

They decided to celebrate the relaxing of their strictures by going for a run around the Black Lake. Their muscles protested from their forced rest and the strain from the last battle, but they were well-practiced at slowly bringing their bodies back into shape. Injuries had waylaid them in the past. By the time they finished with their warm-up and had turned to practicing their sword forms, the first classes of the day had begun. They paused in their exercises to watch the students fly across the lawns, heading to the greenhouse or Hagrid's hut. It brought poignant smiles to their faces, reminding them of their own halcyon days before the war had begun and their innocence brought to ruin.

"Have you felt the wards?" Luna asked, interrupting the comfortable silence that had descended upon them.

"They're a bit weak," Harry commented, sensing what she had.

"Should we strengthen them?" Neville wanted to know, looking to Harry for the decision. For all that they rarely stood on ceremony both he and Luna saw Harry as their leader and as the one to make the decisions on what they should do. Not that they refrained from offering their opinions or even fighting for what they believed was the correct avenue to pursue, but when it came down to it, they rarely acted without Harry's assent.

Harry considered it for a long moment. Many ways existed to strengthen old wards like these. Usually, the stray magic that students let loose during the school term was enough to keep the wards at a stable level. They weren't in danger of falling or even breaking; they were just weaker than the levels to which Harry, Luna and Neville were accustomed. Gathering the magic to send to the wards was inconsequential to their own personal magic. "I find that, now that we're here and there is Hogwarts which still stands tall, I would loathe seeing her fall once again. We should do what we can," he finally said.

Smiles all around; Hogwarts represented something important to all three and like Harry, Luna and Neville did not want to see the grand school brought to her knees once again. Peace notwithstanding, war could erupt with little warning and until they felt comfortable in this new reality, they would proceed with caution and ensure their residence, no matter how temporary, was as close to impregnable as they could make it.

Their search for horcruxes and old magics had led them to a wushu master in the mountains of China. Master Li had seen the hand of Destiny and Fate on Harry's soul and accepted the three into his tutelage, despite their advanced age. "You will never be Masters," he had bluntly told them. "You begin too old. But I will teach you the basic forms and you will practice and master those." He had kept them in his mountain school for months, teaching them what he could of his art.

"I will not be rushed!" he had insisted, whenever Harry (usually) or Neville let their Gryffindor impatience run loose. "You do not run before you learn to walk," he had reminded them. "Now, try again!" Groaning and sore, they had complied. By the time they had left, they had learned to feel energy and magic that existed in the world in a rudimentary manner. Master Li had taught them the beginning stages of gathering it to them and then conducting it to themselves to replenish their magical energy (a dangerous task and only to be done in an emergency situation since magical energy was highly personalized and adding the natural energy and magic to one's core tended to have unexpected results) or to strengthen wards, which didn't really care what type of magical energy replenished their strength. And, while none of the three could even hope to hold their own against a true wushu master, they could handle themselves against the average witch or wizard who wholly relied upon their wands for defense and offense.

Facing each other, they slowed their breathing until they were in sync. Moving slowly and as one, they began the most basic of forms Master Li had drilled into them. They lost themselves into the rhythm of the exercise, their movements beginning jerky and smoothing out as their muscles moved into familiar patterns. The air around them grew heavy with gathered energy and magic, though not as heavy as when the three had arrived in this reality.

The amount of energy and magic gathered varied from person to person, dependent on their own magical strength, general health and physical state. The more people added to the exercise, the more difficult it became to gather and then funnel the energy and magic to the intended recipient. If one couldn't control the gathered magic, it tended to have unexpected effects: it could explode outwards, causing mayhem and destruction; it might dissipate harmlessly back into the earth; or it could rush into the person or people responsible for gathering it, which could cause additional problems to the person's magic.

However, the trio had a lot of experience at doing this and they knew precisely how much they could gather safely and send it to the wards. They pulsed visibly for a moment, strengthened in a way they hadn't been in centuries. Both Dumbledore and McGongall paused in their activities, as they felt the change to the wards.

***

"Albus, what in the world just happened?" Minerva asked as she entered his office. The shift in the wards had occurred towards the end of her class and she had dismissed them before rushing to his office.

"I am not quite certain," he admitted. "It seems as if the wards received a sudden rush of power."

"Are they alright? Your connection is much stronger than mine."

"They are the strongest I've ever felt them," he said. "How remarkable!"

"Who or what did it?"

"I imagine our new friends had something to do with it," eyes twinkling at that. "I will have to ask them what they did."

She shook her head in response; while marveling at his enthusiasm. "Inform them that next time, they should ask first."

***

"Astrid!" Althea Potter ordered, "We need to find Nigel."

Sighing, Astrid followed her older sister to the Hufflepuff dormitory. After knocking, one of the Hufflepuffs went and got Nigel for them.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Come _on_!" Althea urged, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him to a nearby – and empty – classroom. Despite his protests and the longsuffering sighs of her sister, she refused to say a word until she was convinced they were alone – and no one could overhear them.

"Alright, that's enough!" Nigel stated, arms crossed against his chest. He tried – and failed – to present a stern picture. Unfortunately for him, the Potter girls were far too used to him and he couldn't really intimidate them.

"Look," Althea began, "I wanted to talk to you about these, these… _'brothers'_ of ours."

"Oh? What about them? Neville is pretty cool," Nigel commented.

"Well for one thing, what do we know about them?" Althea asked, almost but not quite stomping her foot. She began to pace. "Mum and dad told us they came from an alternate reality, that in _their_ reality, mum and dad _died_. And they're so happy to have Harry back that they're not pushing him on _anything_!"

"'Thea," Astrid said, "what's really wrong?"

"Come _on_, Astrid," Althea protested. "How do we really know they're who they say they are?"

"Well, for one thing, they look like members of the family," Nigel replied in a wry tone. "Let's sit," he suggested. "Harry looks like your dad and has your mum's eyes. And you know how unique your mum's eyes are. The only people in the entire Wizarding world that have them are you and your mum. And Neville looks just like me, except a bit harsher."

Althea rolled her eyes, huffing in disgust. "What if it's a potion or a spell?"

"I don't know of any potion or spell that could disguise them so thoroughly. Besides, the Headmaster is convinced they are who they say they are and he's _never_ wrong," Nigel said, confident in the infallibility of Albus Dumbledore.

"Still…" Althea continued. "They're not from _here_. What if they're using something that's only in their reality?"

"I don't understand, 'Thea," Astrid complained. "You seemed to like Harry fine yesterday. Why not today?"

"I just… I started thinking about it," Althea defended herself. "What's the one thing that mum and dad want more than anything else? Your parents too, Nigel. They all wanted their sons back. And now it's happened, but they're not really the Harry and Neville our parents lost. They're someone else, but mum and dad don't seem to care!" Tears of frustration and anger and worry began to fall and Nigel pulled her into a hug, trying to soothe her.

"For what it's worth, I don't think our alternate siblings are jumping up and down with excitement at seeing our parents. Neville told us that Harry's asking your parents if they can use your place in the Lake Country while they adjust to living here."

"And Harry was worse than a unicorn in trying to avoid accepting anything from mum and dad," Astrid reminded her. "Remember how awkward he sounded when he asked to use the Summer Cottage?"

Althea nodded reluctantly, sniffling into her sleeve before Nigel conjured her a handkerchief to use in its place. "I guess," she mumbled.

"You're just worried everything's going to change, now that Harry's here," Astrid responded with all the confidence of a younger sibling who knew her older sister as no one else did. "I don't think it will."

"Astrid's right," Nigel agreed. "Neville was quite formal with my parents. I think they're just as wary as you are about joining our families.

Althea had to admit that Harry had skirted around several personal questions, only answering the ones posed by her or Astrid about his Hogwarts' years – and even then, he never really answered questions after his fifth year. No information on growing up and nothing too specific about the war.

"Mum and dad told us things would be a little strange at first," Astrid reminded her. "They said we should be patient with him. I don't think he's going to take mum and dad from us. He seemed to like us."

"I guess," Althea conceded. "I just… what if he decides he wants nothing to do with us? What will mum and dad do?"

"If he – if they are going to stay in Wizarding Britain, they can't just ignore us," Nigel asserted. "Our parents are too well known and too involved in the Ministry for that to happen."

"They can still decide they want to keep their lives separate from ours," Althea argued.

"Even if they did, it has to be their choice. 'Thea, they had parents too, in their reality, even if they died or were in St. Mungo's," Nigel pointed out. "How strange it must be for them, to come here and find family. Mum and dad mentioned that one of the reasons they've not introduced Gran to Neville yet is because she raised him in his reality and you know how much Gran misses our Neville. They didn't want to put pressure on him to accept her and she won't understand if he pushes her away. "

"I guess," Althea finally said, understanding in a small way what Nigel had tried to say. It didn't make her any happier, but it did make her wonder what her quasi-sibiling thought of the whole situation.

"It's going to be alright," Astrid insisted, giving her sister a hug. "Mum and dad won't let anything happen to us." Althea shrugged in response, not sure her sister understood entirely what bothered her about the appearance of Harry. On the other hand, if Nigel, who everyone agreed had inherited his mother's sense of empathy, did not seem bothered by the presence of the three, then they probably did not pose the threat to family life that Althea feared they would.

It made her feel a little better.

***

"Headmaster Dumbledore? Prefect Thomas said you wanted to see us," Harry asked as the three entered his office.

"Yes, yes, I did," Dumbledore answered. "But please, call me 'Albus' – none of you are students at Hogwarts anymore – and certainly not at this one." He smiled with grandfatherly charm but to his surprise, the three merely nodded and took seats across from him, not at all fazed by his invitation.

"Albus, then," Harry said, seemingly the spokesperson for this group. Albus filed it away as another bit of information on them that intrigued him.

"Now then, Minerva and I noticed quite an interesting display this morning," he began. "The wards that protect Hogwarts apparently gained strength. Do you know anything about that?"

"Why presume we would know?" Harry inquired. He sounded curious, rather than defensive, seemingly unbothered by Albus' questions. In fact, none of the three seemed overtly concerned. Luna gazed around his office, taking note of all his gadgets and knickknacks. Neville kept his attention partially on Harry and partially on the various exit and entrances to the room. Albus decided he was the groups 'guard' – for this interaction. He wasn't quite sure what Luna's job was, but he doubted it was mere curiosity that caused her to continually scan the room.

And Harry, he had crossed his leg across his knee, hands loose on his lap and a lazy grin that could rival his father's own. But even that surface similarity to his father did not help Albus read the man in front of him.

"Come, my boy, let us not play games," he chided softly. "Never before have we felt such a surge of power going into the wards. Ambient magic powers them, and it is added so gradually as to barely be noticeable. Surely, you do not believe I would not look to you, our newest guests, for an explanation?"

With a slight smirk, Harry nodded in his head in concession. "I'm afraid I can't tell you precisely what we did – can't, not won't, Albus," he insisted, raising his hand to forestall his objections. "During the war, we traveled to many different areas of the world, searching for… certain objects of… importance to Voldemort," Harry carefully explained. By the sharpened gaze that Albus bestowed upon him, he rather thought they would be having another conversation soon about horcruxes. "In one of those areas, we were approached by a Master of his art, who decided to teach us one of his techniques. We swore a magically binding oath to never reveal what he taught us to any one else."

"While that was in our reality, we don't want to risk losing our magic or life by assuming that an oath made in that reality only binds the parties there and not here too."

"Very wise, my boy," Albus nodded in understanding. "Pity, though. I'm sure it is quite fascinating."

He received a shrug in response. "We can continue to strengthen the wards, if you want," Harry offered. "At least while we stay here."

"Thank you," Albus said. "I assume you understand a lot about wards?" he hinted at delicately.

"Enough to survive," Harry stated. Of course, that statement could cover a great deal of knowledge, but Albus wisely decided not to continue pursuing it.

"You mentioned you traveled to find certain objects of Voldemorts?" he asked. Perhaps not very surprising, his statement caused renewed attention by Luna and Neville, both of whom ceased to pretend they weren't paying attention.

"Mmm…" Harry nodded, enigmatic as ever. "Did you not do the same?"

Albus let his eyes twinkle at their fullest. "My boy, I don't quite know what you are implying," he hedged. It was the wrong thing to say, as Harry's face completely shuttered, his green eyes growing glacial as he stood.

"Then, I'm afraid we have nothing more to discuss, Headmaster." He rose from his seat in a fluid manner and strode to the door, Luna and Neville silently following him. He paused, hand on the door, back to him and said, "You aren't very different from our Dumbledore. I had hoped…" Sighing, he shook his head and left.

Flabbergasted, Albus tried to protest, but it was too late. Harry had already left, though Luna and Neville had also paused at the door. "You shouldn't have tried to dissemble. None of us like it," Neville finally said. "We will do as you ask and continue to strengthen the wards as we can. They shouldn't be so weak." and he followed Harry, wanting to catch up with him before he did something he would likely regret once he calmed down.

Luna remained, hands clasped in front of her, looking fey and serious and a perfect mixture of her parents, two people Albus did not know well, for all that Croaker had sent Soleil to work on the wards when Albus had requested help. He didn't quite know what to expect from her.

"Our Dumbledore knew things, Headmaster. Things that could have ended the war sooner had he shared his knowledge with others. But he didn't – at least not until it was almost too late. And then he sent Harry and his two best friends at the time on a quest that experienced wizards might blanche at with little more than an admonishment that he _must_ succeed or Voldemort couldn't be defeated. No advice on how to accomplish the task or who to trust with the information. Harry and the other two wasted months attempting to complete the task, before they discovered that the one person other than they that the Headmaster had trusted with the information had informed Voldemort about the Headmaster's discovery."

"Voldemort flew into a rage and promptly took actions to make sure that Harry couldn't succeed, at least not as easily as he might have. And our war was prolonged, all because the Headmaster refused to share what he had discovered. It took Harry close to seven years to fulfill the task and eventually, he had to do what the Headmaster hadn't: trust others not to betray him or to inform the enemy of our knowledge. He told a small group of trusted advisors and mentors and together, they finally succeeded." She paused, her blue-grey eyes piercing his with a knowledge and experience far beyond her years. It shocked him, this evidence of what their reality had truly been like and hitherto hidden from him so successfully.

"We don't take kindly to information withheld from us, Headmaster. We have learned from experience that what we don't know can set into motion disaster at a future date. If you wish for us to trust you, you can not continue to act like this." With that, Luna followed her two compatriots, leaving Albus to contemplate her advice and all that he had discovered about the three in the day's conversation.

***

"Albus," Minerva began, hesitant to disturb him but worried about his behavior. "Is everything alright?"

He sighed in response, slumping in his chair. "What happened?" she asked.

"I had a conversation that frankly caused me to question myself in a way I have not in a great many years," he finally admitted. Minerva exchanged a worried look with Filius, who had joined her in her concern.

"Whatever do you mean?" She hadn't seen Albus this disconcerted in a long time; not even the appearance of the trio from another reality had fazed him. He had simply accepted it as another delightful surprise and all the better for completing three families who had suffered great tragedy.

"I spoke with our three guests this morning," Albus said. "You will no doubt be happy to know that they were responsible for the strengthening of the wards this morning and will continue to strengthen them as they can." A small twinkle had returned to his eyes before disappearing once again.

"I am afraid I made a terrible mistake in handling them," he conceded. He looked at two of his most trusted friends, professors who had worked at Hogwarts for decades and whose advice he listened to - when he actually solicited for advice. They knew him better than most.

"Come now, Albus, whatever did you say to them?" Minerva pushed.

"They had mentioned they had traveled the world, searching for certain objects of Voldemort's," he finally divulged. "After I asked them about it, Mr. Potter inquired whether we had done the same." Minerva shook her head, as she finally understood what happened.

"You didn't tell them," she announced.

"No, Minerva, I am afraid I did not," he sighed. "They left, rather than continue speaking with me. They have a way of looking at me, at everyone really, as if they can see something in us that we can't. I do not know what to do."

"What did they say to you?" While it bothered her to see Albus so despondent, it did not surprise her that if anyone were to call Albus on one of his more annoying traits, it was they. She had only met them briefly, but she agreed with his assessment that the three had a certain way of gazing at people that almost screamed personal and intimate knowledge that they shouldn't have, but did.

"My counterpart kept information from them that might have ended their war earlier than it did."

"And was it true?" she queried.

"I believe my counterpart did not discover the presence of Tom's horcruxes until much later than we did," he disclosed. He nodded at the surprised looks on his colleague's faces. Both had been involved in the search for and destruction of the horcruxes that had allowed Voldemort's final death, though not before he had killed Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. "Rather than gather those he trusted around him to find and dispose of them, he left it to Mr. Potter and his friends with little to no advice."

"What have those poor children been through?" Minerva wondered. When Regulus Black had defected to the Light, bringing with him one of the horcruxes and the knowledge that there were more, it had sickened those Albus had informed and then gathered to take care of them. How much worse had it been for a group of unprepared children?

"I do not think we will ever know," Albus shook his head sadly. "I had hoped they would eventually feel comfortable to share their history with us all, but I doubt it shall happen now."

"It doesn't surprise me," Filius observed, speaking for the first time since he had arrived with Minerva to check on Albus.

"Whatever do you mean?" Minerva wanted to know.

"I have not met them, obviously, but from what you have told me of them, they are very wary. They have just survived a war, one that they were thrust into at a very young age. Even when we fought Voldemort, our students were not expected to fight."

"They have been sent here and find themselves in a place that looks and likely feels familiar, with a staff of familiar faces. Our counterparts worked at Hogwarts and from a comment by one of the Miss Potters, both Minerva and I continued to teach them what we could once Hogwarts closed as a school and the war began. How they must feel, being surrounded by the familiar but knowing they cannot rely on what they know? Knowing that this is a different world than their own."

"You cannot treat them as you would others their age. Miss Lovegood, Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom were _never_ our students. _We_ do not know them, our counterparts did. They have lived through and survived something few in this reality have experienced and certainly none of those in their own generation here have. They likely came to you, Albus, to see if you were in any way different from the Albus Dumbledore they knew in their own reality."

"And I have failed their test," Albus sighed. Fawkes trilled from his perch, trying to comfort his chosen companion. Albus smiled sadly in response.

"I think… I think if you wait a while, then apologize and offer the information they wanted…" Minerva counseled a small frown on her face as she reviewed what little she knew about the trio. "They know as well as we that they cannot return to their own reality and they will have to adjust to living here and all that that means."

It was a small comfort, but Albus couldn't help but feel he had destroyed whatever chance he had at mentoring the trio in their new circumstances. He could only hope they would turn to someone else.

***

"What are you thinking?" Neville asked Harry, voice full of concern, but also a calm certainty that he had a plan to gain the answers they sought.

"It was too much to believe that he would be different here," Harry murmured. "I had hoped but…"

"He likely didn't have even half the troubles that the Dumbledore in our reality had. The Light side won the war; one of his Order members became Minister, not Fudge. Different Order members survived the war and they've filled prominent ranks in the Ministry. He hasn't done anything nor has anyone managed to tarnish his reputation. He is as he presents himself: the leader of the Light," Luna observed.

Harry snorted. "Lovely. I wonder what happens if – or when – we disagree violently with something he advocates."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Neville advised. "We'll deal with it when or if it comes up."

"So, you think Voldie had horcruxes here too?"

"Given his reaction, can you doubt it?" Harry turned serious suddenly. "Which begs the question: is Voldemort still around here?"

"I would say no," Neville offered. "No one we've met seems worried or concerned that war will begin again."

"You don't want to take the chance, though, do you my Phoenix?" Luna asked with a knowing glint in her eye. "What have you planned?"

"You know me well," Harry grinned. "I thought we might try to scry for it."

Neville looked skeptical, but then he never had much luck when it came to scrying. "I assume Thestral will do it?"

"Hmm… rather. If she can't, I'll give it a try, but she's always had the best luck at it," Harry confirmed.

Luna shrugged, not really bothered by the assumption Harry had made as to her willingness to try and scry for horcruxes. She didn't want to have to go and find them all again, something Harry would insist on, if nothing else to ensure Voldemort would not rise and spoil their new start.

"The new moon's tomorrow. I checked the astronomy charts," Harry told her. "Is that enough time to gather everything you need? I'm sure we have everything in the trunks."

"Mmm…" she hummed, thinking for a moment. "It shouldn't be a problem. I'll give it a try tomorrow."

"Thanks," he said with a small smile that conveyed exactly how much and what it meant to him. Of course, it meant the same to Luna. She didn't want to lose anyone else anymore.

***

True to their word, the trio once again performed their mysterious ritual to strengthen the wards. Minerva expected it this time and so it didn't surprise her nearly as much as yesterday's surge had. It still caused her to pause in her teaching, waiting for the wards to resettle before she resumed her lecture.

The three had refrained from joining the school for any of their meals since meeting with Albus. If not for the house elves, which had reported that they had requisitioned food for their meals from the kitchens, she would worry about the missed meals. As it was, Filius had advocated waiting for them to initiate contact, a move to which she had reluctantly agreed. The professor in her, the one who had had quite favored James and Lily and wept with them when their son had died, wanted to take care of them. However, she had yielded to Filius' judgment, not wanting to completely push the trio out of Hogwarts.

She didn't think James and Lily, or Frank and Alice, or even Soleil and Xeno, would forgive any of them if that happened.

***

Staying away from the residents of Hogwarts wasn't precisely planned, but it did help them focus on their task at hand. Luna, especially, needed to prepare. Scrying was not as simple as looking into a reflective surface and asking to see an object or person. One needed to have the right frame of mind and a clear picture of what one sought. Only then could one inject one's own magic into the scrying surface all the while holding within one's mind the sought-for image. Of the three, Luna had the most success at this type of magic whilst Neville didn't seem to have much talent in it. And while it was doubtful that Harry could succeed where Luna failed, he too prepared himself for the possibility of having to make an attempt.

At the appointed hour, Luna breathed deeply and began, keeping an image of Voldemort and his horcruxes firm in her mind. Slowly, she added her magic to the reflective surface, feeling the comfort and support of Harry and Neville. While not inherently dangerous, there was always the slight chance that the person or object being scryed would sense it, perceive the touch as a threat and strike back accordingly.

Several moments passed while Luna strove to find the objects or any connection to Voldemort that she could. The only image she repeatedly called up was a headstone that read 'Tom M. Riddle.' As she pulled out of the trance she had fallen into, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like he's well and truly dead here," she assured her waiting companions. "I saw a headstone with his name but no horcruxes or even the hint of his spirit."

Harry smiled a huge and happy grin, one that hadn't crossed his face in years. He hugged Neville, surprising his friend and lover as he did so with a deep kiss.

"Happy, Harry?" Luna teased as she rotated her neck and cracked her back, a bit sore from her attempt.

"What do you think?" he asked back, leaving Neville and picking her up to twirl around. "He's dead here, which means no more fighting. No more war."

"Harry's right," Neville breathed. "Merlin. We can live in peace."

A heady thought, indeed.

***

A much more cheerful trio descended upon the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast. They smiled a bit more readily and seemed more at ease with their surroundings. Harry and Neville had even waved at their respective sort-of siblings, which surprised them more than anything. And while they sat at the end of the staff table, they also participated in some of the staff's conversations.

"Why are they so cheerful?" Minerva asked Albus, _sotto voce_.

"I think, my dear Minerva, that that will have to remain a mystery," he answered, relieved that they finally seemed content with their new situation.

It was halfway through breakfast when Harry almost choked, causing Neville and Luna to look up with concern. He stared halfway down the table to where Remus Lupin sat. Eyes wide, Harry coughed, trying to clear his air passage. Luna poured him a glass of water and Neville waved off the concern for Harry. He managed to get himself back under control and kept his eyes on his plate.

"I had forgotten that Lupin was here," he whispered in explanation. "It's… odd to see him here."

Neville shot a quick look down the table before nodding. "Bit of a relief though, to see he has a decent position."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Just hadn't expected it, being so focused on the Headmaster and our families."

Smirking, Neville patted him on the back and ignored the evil eye that Harry shot him.

"Don't worry, Harry. We know you have a lot on your mind," Luna soothed and even though she appeared to sound conciliatory and concerned, Harry could hear the suppressed mirth in her voice. As he considered her words, he conceded the right to their amusement; they knew Remus was here, having seen him at the second meeting. Considering who Remus had become to Harry, it was really quite remiss of him to forget that he was here.

"I think we should go flying after breakfast," Neville announced.

"You want to go flying?" Harry questioned. "Who are you and where is Neville Longbottom?"

"Ha ha," Neville replied. In a childish moment, he stuck his tongue out.

"Careful, unless you want me to take you up on your offer," Harry teased, his voice dropping even lower.

"Promises, promises," Luna sang, derailing the conversation before it could devolve further. "I agree with Neville. Flying would be lovely. The weather is perfect for it and we've not taken our brooms out for anything but missions for far too long.

Tilting his head, Harry looked at his two companions, trying to ascertain how serious they were and how much they were suggesting this for his benefit. Satisfied that they appeared to want what they said, he nodded. "Sounds good. You about done with brekkie?"

Luna daintily dabbed at her lips with her napkin. "I believe so. Shall we?" And she stood, followed by the other two and headed out of the Great Hall, ignoring the whispers and comments that followed them with practiced ease.

***

Remus hummed quietly as he moved about the kitchen preparing the night's meal. Sirius was running late, but then he always was, so he didn't mind as much. Just one of the foibles he had learned to deal with in the last twenty-odd years since Sirius had insisted that no, he really _did_ love Remus and by the gods, they were shacking up together.

He hadn't protested overly much, too bemused by the notion that Sirius had returned his feelings.

"Moony!" Sirius called out as he entered through the floo. "Where are you?"

"Kitchen!" Moony replied, continuing with his chopping and stirring.

"Mmm… Smells delicious," Sirius greeted huskily, coming up behind Remus and giving him a hug. Remus smiled and tilted his head back to give him a lingering kiss.

"Supper'll be ready in a few minutes," he said after Sirius had decided he had greeted Remus properly enough.

"Do I have time to wash up?" Sirius asked.

"It'll hold until you finish," Remus confirmed and that was enough to send the other man to the upstairs.

Smiling as he listened to his partner moving around, Remus concentrated on finishing the meal. He hadn't had a chance to cook for just the two of them in a while, what with James and Lily spending time over here more often than not, since the alternate reality people had shown up.

Not long after he had set the table and put the food on the table, Sirius had joined him.

"Looks good," Sirius complimented, pouring a generous portion of the wine Remus had chosen for the meal into their glasses. Remus smiled in thanks as he dished out the meal.

"Harry and his friends came to breakfast this morning," he mentioned as they went over their day.

"Oh?" Sirius inquired, trying and failing to sound uninterested.

"They looked happy," Remus assured him. He swirled the wine in his glass, watching it catch the light of the room before continuing. "He looks so much like James… but harder, you know? I'm sure you do, having spent more time with him than me, but I hadn't really noticed it before. Of course, it doesn't help that they rarely take their meals in the Great Hall."

"Where do they eat then?"

"Apparently, they know where the kitchens are," Remus smirked.

"A true Marauder, then," Sirius crowed.

Remus shrugged in reply. "I don't know, Padfoot. He's much more serious than we ever were. Even at his age."

"They've been through a lot more than we were," Sirius pointed out.

"I suppose you're right."

"How are the girls and Nigel taking to having Harry and Neville here?"

"Nigel's thrilled," Remus grinned. "Thinks it's the best thing to ever happen. Althea was complaining about it and how he doesn't even seem to mind that Neville is so formal with him and his parents."

"Althea's not too happy, then?" Sirius guessed.

Remus shook his head, sighing. "She's worried that it'll end up hurting James and Lily." His goddaughter had taken to visiting him more often since meeting Harry and she had voiced some of her concerns, which Remus had done his best to assuage.

"Harry's death took James and Lily hard. They never really got over it and the girls know it," Sirius mused. "Althea must feel she needs to protect the family, since she's the oldest."

"That's pretty much it," Remus confirmed. "It doesn't help that the three are so closed off to everyone that it makes it difficult to get to know them. Neville reverts to formality or silence and Harry chooses his words carefully. He doesn't share anything without someone asking and even then, I don't think it's the full story."

"And Luna?"

"She volunteers more information but is still careful about what she says," Remus paused, taking another sip of wine. "I know Albus had a conversation with them that ended up a disaster. He was quite upset but admitted it was his fault."

"We have to give them time, Moony. They're not going anywhere," Sirius reminded him. "Besides, they just finished a war. You remember what it was like, after Voldemort died. How lost we felt. How much worse must it be for them, to be in a brand new place with nothing really familiar?"

His lips quirking upwards in a smile, Remus shook his head in wonder. "Since when are you the voice of reason?" He was right, though. They really couldn't do more except be patient and wait for them to recover.

"Oi! I can be completely reasonable!" Sirius mock protested.

"Of course you can," Remus soothed. Then he grinned, causing Sirius to raise an eyebrow in question. "Harry did inherit James' flying skills," he told him. "They went for a bit of a fly after breakfast and by Merlin! It was an amazing sight, Padfoot. I wish you could have seen it."

"James'll be happy to hear that," Sirius smiled.

"Mmm… though he might give him a heart attack. He has the skills of James but he flies with a complete reckless disregard. I can't tell you how many times I thought he was going to fall off or crash into something or plow straight into the ground. Minerva almost had a heart attack, when she saw some of his maneuvers. The only thing that saved him was the complete lack of concern displayed by Luna and Neville. Not that their flying was all that much better."

"It's nice to know that they still know how to have fun," Sirius pointed out. "It's a good sign."

A sign that they could work through their trauma and become civilians again.

"How are James and Lily?" Remus asked, since Sirius saw them more often as they both worked at the Ministry and Lily in the same department as Sirius.

"Nervous. They want Harry to like them and want him to think of them as family. James said he's had the house elves clean and prepare the Summer Cottage for Harry and his friends. Apparently, he wants to live there for a while with the others so that they can recover from the war."

"Smart of them," Remus commented.

"Yeah, though Prongs is a bit worried that they'll decide to disappear when they are recovered."

"I don't think they will," he comforted, hearing the strain of similar fear in Sirius' voice. Though Harry was his godson, he had kept away from him, wanting to allow James and Lily the time to bond with their son. He claimed it was because he would have time enough to get to know Harry; James was just grateful for Sirius' consideration. While Harry hadn't revealed much about his past, they did know that he was close to Sirius in his world.

"They like magic too much," Remus continued. "They can use it so effortlessly, too. Minerva mentioned that they know a way to strengthen the wards at Hogwarts so have been doing so each morning."

"Really?" Sirius looked astounded and well he should. It took a lot of power to strengthen wards, especially ones as old as Hogwarts. It was why most wards tended to rely on ambient magic or ward stones to keep them at strength.

"They sound like prime candidates for your Department," Remus commented.

"Croaker's mentioned as much," Sirius admitted.

"Speaking of your Department, when's your brother returning?"

"When he's finished in Africa," Sirius replied with a shrug. "He got a lead on a shaman somewhere in the middle of the continent. He supposedly has a lot of knowledge about soul magic and you know how Reggie is."

"So in a year or two?" Remus teased, well knowing Regulus' tendency to get lost in his research. His interest in soul magic was a direct result of the war with Voldemort and their efforts to find and destroy the horcruxes. Fortunately, the Department of Mysteries supported his research interest and gave him the time, space and funds to conduct it to his heart's content.

"Croaker'll call him back sooner," Sirius assured him.

"You know he probably stays away to keep the matchmaking parents from him."

"He should just find someone as wonderful as you and then they'll stop," Sirius predicted. "Of course, there aren't any more quality wizards out there like you, so he might have to suffer a bit more."

"How kind of you," Remus smirked. "I think you deserve a reward."

"Oh?" Sirius leered as Remus rose from his seat and settled in his lap.

"Oh, yes…" Remus breathed. They didn't talk much more after that.

***

"The house elves have informed me that the Summer Cottage is ready for you whenever you want to move in," James informed Harry on Friday night as they shared a meal as a family.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Hogwarts is starting to feel a bit confining."

Strange to think of a school as big as Hogwarts as restrictive, but then the three were older than the students, were not professors and were inter-reality travelers. Of course the students would stare at them and watch their every move.

"When will you move?" he asked.

"Probably tomorrow, if it's agreeable with Luna and Neville."

"Do you need any money?" James offered.

Tilting his head, Harry took a long look at James. His green eyes bore into James', a reminder of Lily for all that they rarely lit up with the emotion that characterized his wife's. "Gringotts collapsed in our reality," he began causing James to wonder just what that had to do with anything. "Of course, we might have had something to do with that." He grinned maliciously.

"The goblins preached neutrality, but had no problems selling information to the highest bidder or refusing us access to our vaults if the DEs paid them enough," he explained, gathering the attention of everyone at the table. "My group got tired of it. So we took care of it ourselves."

"But even before then, we had seen some of the signs that the goblins couldn't be trusted. Bill and Fleur advised us to clear out our vaults. It didn't make the goblins very happy, but a bunch of us did. It was a good thing we acted when we did, because within a few days of us doing so, the Ministry tried to claim our vaults as compensation for our 'terrorist' activities," he snorted. "Just because we wouldn't lie back and let Voldemort take over."

His green eyes flashed with an emotion that James couldn't read but it gave him a glimpse of why Luna and Neville considered him their captain and had followed him even into another reality.

"My squad used some inside information gained from some former Gringott's employees and managed to destroy it. On our way, we liberated some of the DEs vaults for our own use. We destroyed a lot of the artifacts but the gold was nice."

He ended with a smirk and returned his attention to the steak he was carefully cutting up.

"Luna, Neville and I had a large part of our fortunes on us when we traveled here. We had gotten used to carrying our shrunken trunks with us into battle since we never knew where we might end up after the fighting was over. Half the time our camp had been destroyed or compromised so we couldn't return. Easier to carry our supplies with us than try and hide them elsewhere."

And that answered the question of how they seemed to have a number of changes of clothes despite not having had the opportunity to go shopping in this reality as of yet. James wondered what else they had brought with them.

"The elves stocked the kitchen with food," Lily told Harry. "If you need anything else, you can call for them and they'll bring it by."

"Thank you for setting it up," Harry said.

"It wasn't that much trouble," Lily dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We want you to feel comfortable there, so if you need anything you can floo or owl us."

"There's a Quidditch pitch," Astrid volunteered. "In case you want to continue with your flying."

"You fly?" James asked, not sure why he was so surprised.

"Yes," Harry replied. "I find it relaxing."

"He's _amazing_" Astrid gushed. "Madame Hooch said she's never seen such a natural flyer before. And Professor McGonagall looked really funny while she watched. She had a hand to heart and kept shaking her head."

Harry colored red with embarrassment. "I just like flying," he muttered.

"Can you teach me some of what you do?" Astrid asked as she turned puppy eyes on him.

"If your parents agree," Harry answered. No way was he going to get in trouble for showing Astrid something that could get her killed – at least not without the permission of James and Lily.

James turned towards Althea, who had remained quiet all evening. "Are you feeling alright, sweetie?" he asked.

She shrugged in response, frowning a little. "I'm fine. Just tired," she said.

"I'll have Poppy take a look at you," Lily told her. "Make sure you're not coming down with something." Althea wrinkled her noise in disgust but didn't protest, knowing from past experience how futile it was.

The conversation returned to more general topics, with Harry carefully questioning everyone as to their interests and the Wizarding world while providing his own evasive answers to the questions posed to him. James and Lily had noticed that he rarely gave any specific details about the war or his life after his fourth year. They were frankly surprised to learn as much about his financial situation as they had. It made them wonder just what had happened to him, to cause him to prevaricate so much.

More than that, they wondered whether he would _ever_ relax enough to let them in.

***

It didn't take long to gather all their belongings and return them to their trunks. With practiced ease, they ensured that they hadn't left anything behind in their guest quarters. Shrinking the trunks, they headed towards the entrance hall, where, not to their surprise, the Headmaster waited with Minerva and Filius.

"Headmaster," Harry nodded in greeting. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You are always welcome within the walls of Hogwarts," Albus affirmed.

"Thank you," Harry said again. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, it was lovely to meet you." Shaking their hands, the three bowed their good byes as they continued their exit. To all their relief, the Headmaster did not try to delay them. He seemed to understand that if he wanted a relationship with them, he would need to let them set the pace.

They appreciated it.

"Ready?" Harry asked as they reached the gates of the school. After receiving nods from Luna and Neville, he smiled as he apparated away, a feeling of excitement filling his being. They had a lot to still discover about this new reality, but they had peace, something he had all but given up hope of experiencing ever again.

He was glad Luna and Neville were with him.


	3. Part II: Settling In

The house – or Summer Cottage as James Potter had identified it as – was just as Harry had remembered. Three stories high, with large open rooms and an impressive garden and Quidditch pitch in the back, it exuded an air of relaxation. There were some changes of course; the kitchen had been modernized at some point in the recent past, which had brought a smile to Harry's lips. To his shock, he had discovered that cooking relaxed him. Surprising only because of his past with the Dursleys. He had discovered though, that cooking engendered a completely different feeling for him when done for friends and loved ones.

"How are the wards?" he asked Neville as the other man re-entered the house.

"Pretty good, actually. Fine for peace time, at least."

"Good. One less thing to worry about."

"The back garden is quite lovely," Luna announced as she came into the kitchen. "I even saw some flitterwings flying around."

"The library is pretty impressive too," Harry told them. He finished putting the simple meal on the table. "After lunch, we should unpack and figure out what we're doing next."

"With regards to what? Our families? Our future careers?" Neville asked as he helped himself to a sandwich.

"We should at least figure out the extent to which this world is different to our own," Luna cautioned. "Both the Muggle and Wizarding world."

"Luna's right," Harry agreed. "We've already met a lot of people who were dead in our world. That has to have consequences."

Neville nodded his agreement; it wasn't the first time they had had this discussion and probably wouldn't be the last either, considering how much they all liked to plan.

"I saw that the library had a number of history books, so we can read those before we go out and buy some more," Harry suggested. "We can make a trip to London on Monday or Tuesday to check out the Muggle history books."

"Sounds good," Neville nodded. "Feels like old times, huh?" he grinned. "Research, research, research – and then plan."

"Hey! If it works…" Harry shrugged.

***

They split the books into equal piles and found a comfortable spot to read and take notes. Not that they spent all their time reading and learning about their new world. Oh no, they took complete advantage of the fact that there was peace and tried to remember what they had once enjoyed.

Harry took to flying for hours on end, letting the wind caress his face and take some of his worries away. Luna would disappear into the woods that bordered the house and tromp through the trails, searching for various magical species. Neville took over the care of the gardens, even going so far as to purchase several seeds in the Muggle world to try and grow.

They settled into a comfortable routine, though varying it from day to day – the war had instilled in them the habit of never settling into complacency. On their trip to Diagon Alley, they purchased an owl and used it to send letters to their families.

Not all was well with them, though. Nightmares from one or all kept them awake at night. They usually ended up comforting each other before drifting back into an uneasy sleep, only to wake a few hours later when someone else had a nightmare. They still had a tendency to hex first, ask questions later, which had made their trips to Diagon Alley and Muggle London interesting. At least the Muggles had assumed they had come home from a tour in the Middle East and hadn't pointed and stared at their jumpy behavior.

None of them had any idea what they wanted from the parents who would happily claim them. They had gotten their agreement to leave them alone for three months, while they worked to acclimate themselves to the new reality.

"How can I accept them as parents, when my own parents died for me?" Harry had asked Luna after receiving another lengthy letter from James and Lily.

She had shrugged. "I'm thrilled that mum and dad are alive here, but it feels strange too. They're not like _my_ parents. My parents had a child; my mum died and that changed my daddy. It feels…"

"Like we're betraying them," Neville had finished with a rueful look. "I feel it too. They're so eager to get to know us, to include us in their lives, that they forget that we're not little kids. We're adults. And we've been shaped by what we've seen and done."

"What happens when they realize we're not their little babies that died twenty-one years ago?" Harry had whispered. "They're going to realize that one day."

No one had an answer to that.

***

"Mum," Althea began, hovering in the doorway of Lily's study. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course you can, sweetie. Come in," Lily assured her daughter. She watched as the slim sixteen-year old entered and took a seat. Her daughter had her build, but James' black hair and brown eyes. Unlike her father, Althea's hair did not stick up all over the place, weighed down by its length.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"It's just…" Althea paused, not quite meeting Lily's eyes, which worried her. Whatever could be wrong with Althea that she seemed afraid to even broach the topic with her mother?

"I'm worried about Harry," Althea finally admitted. "What if he decides he doesn't want anything to do with us?"

"Oh, sweetie," Lily breathed. She rose from her chair and gathered Althea into her arms. "Is that what has had you so worried? That Harry might decide to ignore our family?"

Althea buried her head in her mother's chest and nodded. "He's so _cold_," she complained. "And you and daddy are so excited about having him here. What will you do if he decides he doesn't like us or want us around?"

Lily smiled sadly. "Your father and I know that we might not convince Harry to join our family. We also know he's not precisely our son. Our Harry died twenty-one years ago. This Harry, he lost his family at the same time. He's been through a lot and your father and I understand that he might be too scared to accept us."

"But why are you even trying?" Althea needed to know.

"Because he might not be our son, but he's the son of a James and Lily Potter who died to keep him safe. He deserves to have a family, if he wants it." Lily paused, conjuring a tissue and handing it to Althea so she could wipe her eyes. "Althea, just because there is a Harry here now, doesn't mean your father and I don't love you as much as ever. You and Astrid are the most important things in the entire world for us. Nothing is ever going to change that."

"Not even Harry?" Althea had to ask.

"No, baby. Not even Harry," Lily assured her.

***

"As near as I can tell, everything hinges on Regulus Black," Neville said as they gathered around the den to discuss their findings. "The books don't explain why, of course – this is probably something Dumbledore knows though – but after he defected to the Light side, we start to see some significant changes in the timelines."

"Well, he didn't die for one. That's pretty significant," Harry commented.

"It's more than that, though. From that journal of his that you found in the Black family vaults, we know that he discovered Voldemort had made horcruxes and tried to leave the DEs."

"Except, Voldemort found out and killed him," Harry finished.

"Exactly," Neville nodded. "But I think in _this_ reality, Regulus surviving made a big difference. He must have told the Light side about the horcruxes."

"You think they found and destroyed them before he went after you and Harry?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, I do. It makes the most sense. Without the horcruxes to anchor his soul, when he tried to kill us, he couldn't stay around. Even if he had made one of us into an accidental horcrux, like he did with Harry in our reality, if our bodies were dead, the horcrux was dead too."

Harry slowly nodded. "That makes sense. So we have Regulus Black defecting and living. Does that explain all the changes we've seen?"

"Well, if he defected, then he probably shared what he knew about the various DEs," Luna mused.

"And if the focus of the Order became to find the horcruxes or they had better intel, then all of their actions changed, resulting in different people dying and different people living," Neville finished.

"With Voldemort dead and a stronger Light side surviving, including two sets of grieving parents, the DEs wouldn't have had a chance. The books detail the history of the trials and almost no one got away with the _Imperious_ defense. More DEs end up in Azkaban or kissed, the families that supported Voldemort quietly without actually joining him are watched carefully and everything changes."

"So where's Regulus Black now?" Harry asked with a glint of humor in his voice. "If he changed the world that much we should probably meet him."

"Apparently he works for the Ministry as a 'researcher'," Neville replied, glancing at his notes. "In other words, an Unspeakable."

"Ah… one of those…" Harry said.

"We'll probably get to meet him, especially if you spend any time with Sirius," Luna pointed out. "They are brothers, after all."

"Yes, well," Harry replied, shifting uneasily in his chair. He hadn't come to grips with having a set of parents that lived. He hadn't even begun to process that Sirius – his godfather! – also lived in this reality.

"You can't ignore it forever," Luna said. "You're going to have to face him soon enough."

Harry ran a hand through his hair and used a finger to push up his glasses. Fidgeting, he continued to ignore her comment until he realized neither she nor Neville were going to give up on the topic until he did respond. "I… Why… why hasn't he even _tried_ to spend time with me?" he finally whispered. "Except for those first two days, I haven't seen him at all."

"Oh, Harry," Luna sighed. She reached over and grabbed his hand. "You have wrackspurts in your head."

"What?" Harry asked, a bit bemused to see that Luna had once again returned to her slightly spacey self, who persisted in seeing the mythical in the world around her.

"I think Luna means that he's probably stayed away as a favor to James. We didn't say much about our pasts, but you did make it pretty clear that Sirius was important to you."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He doesn't want James and Lily to feel jealous if you accept him quicker than they," Neville explained. "Harry was his godson, but Lily and James were Harry's parents. Of course they're going to want to bond with their alternate reality son. Think how devastated they would be if you ignored them in favor of _your_ alternate reality god father."

"In some ways you have it harder than Luna and I. You never knew your parents but you did bond with your god father after he escaped Azkaban. Same with Remus, or did you think he ignored us on purpose at Hogwarts? No, they're trying to make sure that if we remain in the Wizarding world and become a part of our families' lives, that you have a proper bond with James and Lily. They can wait because they already know their analogues had a positive bond with you in our reality."

"That's just stupid," Harry huffed.

"Maybe," Neville shrugged, "but we don't actually _know_ anyone here. We can guess what they'll do based on their actions in our reality, but it won't necessarily be the same."

"Neville's right," Luna agreed. "I've already noticed that my parents acted differently than the Soleil and Xeno here. And I'm sure you've noticed that Frank and Alice haven't brought Neville's grandmother to meet him."

"So what, they're being careful not to overwhelm us?" Harry asked.

"Mmm... I imagine they're doing everything they can to ensure we'll want to become a part of their families," Neville answered.

He just sighed in response. He could understand their logic, but it didn't help the pang of hurt he felt when Sirius or Remus still didn't try to contact him. Of course, it didn't help that he kept having nightmares about their deaths.

"Come on," Luna announced, standing up and pulling Harry from his seat. "Let's go to the village and grab an ice cream. It's too beautiful to remain inside."

Harry allowed the other two to pull him along, appreciating their attempt at cheering him up. Neville and Luna were good friends and he was lucky that they had followed him here. He didn't even want to contemplate what it would have been like if he was on his own.

***

Regulus Black returned to Britain on a surprisingly sunny summer day. He had not planned on returning quite as early as he had, but the shaman with whom he had been studying had abruptly decided that he needed to return home. The shaman had refused to say why he needed to do so; he had only assured Regulus that he had not offended him or the tribe and would be welcomed back in the future. It was a small comfort.

Such was his mood when he slammed into work the morning after he returned. "Good morning," he snapped as he slumped in his chair. Memos and letters and reports filled his desk and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. He liked his job, liked the traveling he did and his research, but he could do without the paperwork.

"Reggie?" Sirius asked, looking bewildered to see his younger brother back. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here, don't I?" Regulus answered. He glowered at his desk.

"What has you in such a tizzy?" Sirius smirked, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "Did someone crawl into your bed while you were in the middle of nowhere?"

"Ha, ha," Regulus responded. "I'll have you know that the shaman sent me back. Said I was needed here. Why now, he wouldn't tell me." Somehow, he managed to pout and frown at the same time, making him look adorable. Unfortunately, it had no effect on his older brother, who just raised an eyebrow in answer.

"Probably has something to do with the dimension travelers," he casually mentioned. He barked with laughter as Regulus nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"WHAT?" he demanded. "What do you mean dimension travelers? This better not be one of your jokes, Siri."

"_Pace_," Sirius placated, holding up his hands to ward off any attack. "A little over a month ago, these three people fell out of the sky at a Quiddich match. Turns out, they're some other reality's Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and… Harry Potter." Sirius' voice choked a bit at the end.

"Merlin," Regulus breathed. "How are you handling that?" Sirius had loved his godson and had done everything he could to protect him. Sadly, they had all trusted the wrong person and in the end he had had no problem betraying the children to Voldemort.

Sirius gave a half-hearted shrug. "I haven't spend a lot of time with him. Want to give Prongsie and Lily-flower time to bond with him."

"Oh, Sirius…" Regulus smiled in sympathy.

"Anyway, they've taken over Prongsie's Summer Cottage, asked to be left alone for a few months while they figure out how to live without a war going on."

"They were fighting?" Regulus asked with a small frown. "Who?"

"Turns out their Voldemort came back. They didn't say how but I'd say we know how…"

"Horcrux," Regulus finished. "My counterpart either didn't know about them or chose not to defect or… died before he could let them know."

"That's the best guess we have since they're remarkably closemouthed about it all," Sirius agreed. "He came back and they fought a war for seven years before Harry defeated him. Has everyone running around too, since they proved a couple of obscure theories right. Seems good old Xiao Li was right: Lovegood claims that Magic sent them here, based on their deepest desires at the moment it became sentient."

"Then of course, there's the way they're throwing around all sorts of obscure magicks and making it seem easy. They knew and gave the hospitality oath at Hogwarts – and Harry's seen as their leader or liege to such an extent that his agreement bound the other two. They put up some sort of fancy ward while they were in the infirmary – annoyed Poppy too, since she couldn't Heal them – and no one could even touch it. Croaker sent his best and nothing. Moony said they know how to strengthen wards."

"But… but… that's been lost for _centuries_!" Regulus gaped. He suspected he looked a bit ridiculous as Sirius gave another bark of laughter.

"They say they can't tell us, that they made a magical Vow not to share what they had learned."

Regulus just shook his head. "I leave for a couple of months and all this happens?"

"Maybe you should stick around more then," Sirius said in a half-serious, half-teasing manner.

***

The first letter shouldn't have taken any of them by surprise. Somehow it did. It was slightly humbling to realize just how much their alternate reality families really wanted them to join their families. Harry, at least, had never experienced that before; the Dursleys would have happily consigned him to Hell with a gleeful expression. The letters acted as a way to get to know each other while adhering to the three traveler's requests to be left alone.

It also appeared that the Potters, Longbottoms and Lovegoods had coordinated with each other, as each traveler received a letter on the same day at breakfast.

"Interesting," Harry commented as he held the letter presented to him with a raised eyebrow. Neville looked at his as if it were a snake that would bite him while Luna merely looked bemused.

"So much for leaving us alone," Neville said with a rueful look.

"Actually, Dragon, we simply asked for no visitors," Luna reminded him. "These are letters."

"Semantics," Neville muttered.

"Perhaps, but can you blame them for doing what they can to get to know us?" Luna countered. Harry looked at her with some curiosity. Of them all, she had appeared to accept their new circumstances the best, though she had remained stubbornly quiet on what she thought of this dimension's Xeno and Soleil Lovegood. "I, for one, am pleased to see how welcoming they are. Think about how much worse this could be, if they had refused anything to do with us."

Neville and Harry remained quiet for a moment, thinking about the consequences of rejection. "I suppose you're right," Neville finally said. "I hadn't really thought about it from their perspective. Just how it affected me."

"They lost sons and Luna's family never had children. It must seem like a miracle or a dream to have us here," Harry pondered.

"The least we can do is read what they've written," Luna urged, satisfied that she had gotten her point across. She had seen how the Potters and Longbottoms had looked at her friends. More than that, she wanted them happy and both of them desperately wanted a family. Magic had brought them here for a reason and she was determined that they all enjoy this new life they had gained.

***

_Dear Luna, _

We hope you do not mind that we write to you. While it is understandable that you would like some time to acclimate to your new circumstances, Soleil and I would very much like to get to know you – and for you to get to know us.

To wit, Soleil works for the Ministry as a researcher. She was one of those sent to Hogwarts to inspect that rather impressive ward you and your friends set up in the infirmary. (Soleil would like me to ask what type of ward was it exactly and how you managed to mask its components so wonderfully.) I am the editor of a small weekly paper, called the _Quibbler_. I have enclosed a copy for your enjoyment.

Soleil and I never thought we would have a child. When the Death Eaters cast the curse on Soleil, we tried everything to reverse it. We went to the best Healers and cursebreakers but it was found to be permanent. Though disappointed, we eventually resigned ourselves to a childless life. I was just grateful that Soleil had not come off worse from her altercation with the Death Eaters.

We had thought to perhaps adopt a child at some point, but we both became involved in our respective careers and it never seemed important. Soleil and I are content with our lot in life.

How strange it must seem to you, to come to this new dimension and find so many familiar faces and places. Soleil and I do not want to make your life difficult nor do we want you to feel compelled to include us in your future plans. Just know that we are interested in getting to know you and wish for you to join our family.

Yours, etc…

Xeno Lovegood

***

_Dear Neville,_

I did not think I would ever get to write such an opening. When my son died in October, 1981, I grieved. Frank and I mourned for many years over the fate of our innocent boy. We pushed to ensure that Voldemort's followers did not go free, that they paid for their crimes.

We truly lived up to the fearsome reputation we had gained in earlier years of the war.

After the trials were over, I left the Aurors and obtained Healer training, a life-long dream of mine. I had only joined the Aurors because of the war, as so many of my fellow classmates and friends did.

Frank waited until I became a full Healer before he too quit the Aurors. Our friend and fellow member of the Order of the Phoenix (I assume you are aware of this organization, or something like it; Professor Dumbledore established it to fight against Voldemort), Marlene McKinnon had been elected to Minister after the war and needed an Undersecretary she could trust.

Despite some reservations, Frank agreed to apply for the position, mostly urged on by his mother. Augusta had raised him on the intrigues and secrets of the Wizengamot and Ministry so it was only natural that once he had obtained the position, he would excel.

Not long afterwards, I discovered I was pregnant again. Frank and I had another boy, whom you've met. We named him Nigel after my grandfather.

I cannot think of a worse fate than the one you and your friend Harry described as occurring to your parents. I also cannot image what it must be like for you, to come here and discover a version of your parents that had not suffered the cruel fate of your parents.

We know we cannot take the place of your parents. We are, however, thrilled that a version of our son survived when our own Neville did not. That you have come here is a blessing and we want you to be a part of our family. Augusta is aching to meet you and Nigel has bragged about you to all and sundry within the family.

We will not push ourselves on you. You are recovering from a long-lasting war and your arrival. Frank and I would like it if you would write to us and tell us about yourself, as much as you feel comfortable revealing. What were your favorite subjects at Hogwarts? How did you like Hogwarts? What is your favorite Quiddich team? Who were your friends?

We are always here, if you want to talk to someone. Or, if you prefer to speak to someone else, I can give to you the names of several reliable Mind Healers who can help you adjust to your new circumstances. Though, if you're anything like Frank, you will not wish that.

We hope you and your friends are recovering nicely and we look forward to seeing you when you are ready to reenter the world once again.

\--Alice

***

_Harry – _

Lily is convinced that this will anger you. Moony disagrees but wants me to write a really formal letter and Padfoot's not sure what to think. Which is probably a common occurrence with him. I was a Gryffindor for a reason though, so here we are. Not that Lily, Moony and Padfoot weren't also Gryffindors, but they seem to have lost some of that courage in recent years. Or maybe we've grown older and less brash?

Growing older is not as bad as I once thought. I have Lily, who is the light of my life. Convincing her to fall in love with me and later, to marry me was the best idea I had. Here's some unsolicited advice: if you want something, don't let anyone discourage you from grabbing hold of it and refusing to let it go. I knew as soon as I saw Lily that first day of our third year that I was going to marry her. It just took several years for her to admit the same.

She'll claim I was a prat, of course (or an odious toe rag – Lily has an amazing way with words), but I know she liked me far earlier than she claims. A man can tell when someone likes him.

Where was I? Oh right! Growing older. I have two lovely daughters, who pleased their old man by getting into Gryffindor as well, even if they aren't as much of pranksters as I was. They take after their mother in that regard.

It's hard to be disappointed in them for that. Lily is a brilliant witch. Scared the pants off of the Death Eaters during the war. Wasn't too bad myself, which was probably why Voldemort persisted in coming after us.

There is not much I regret in my life, but trusting the Traitor is the biggest one. To think one of our best friends supported Voldemort for years! We never suspected, though perhaps we should have. The war though. You know what it's like. No one knew whom to trust. Everyone suspected everyone of something. My friends and I had vowed that we would never suspect each other of being a Death Eater unless we had proof.

Maybe we should have been more cautious. We were young and thought that nothing could stop us. We lived in our world, fighting the good fight and trying to figure out how to beat Voldemort.

The only good thing was that the Traitor didn't know everything. Not that Lily and I cared after Halloween. She knew enough. She knew she'd be watching our son and Neville while we were all on a mission.

Lily and I regret that we both went on the mission. That we didn't postpone until someone else could watch Harry. We'll never know how Voldemort died. But it did kill our son.

It took us a long time to recover and I don't know if we ever really will. It's true what they say, that no parent should have to outlive their child. Lily and I would have gladly given our lives, if it meant that our son lived. And in your reality they did.

I can't imagine what it was like living with the Dursleys. Why Lily insists on keeping in touch with them and visiting them twice a year, I'll never understand, but she does. Vernon and Petunia look down their noses at us and make comments about our 'freakishness.' Their son is a spoiled brat and bully. If the versions of them from your world are anything like the ones here, I am sorry that you had to grow up with them.

Merlin! This is maudlin. If you're even still reading this, I'm sure you don't want to read this!

Moony says you're an amazing flyer. Have you given any thought of trying out for professional Quiddich once you've settled in? If you're as good as Moony implies and Astrid insists, a team is certain to snap you up. Sirius mentioned that his boss would also be interested in hiring you. Not surprising really. You and your friends really stumped us with those wards you put up!

I know Lily and I can't replace your parents, the ones who died for you. You're not our son – our Harry died twenty-one years ago, as much as it pains us. But you are family and we want you to be a part of it. Lily says I shouldn't pressure you, but I want you to know that we are here for you. If you need anything – and I mean anything – just ask.

James Potter

***

 

_Dear Lily and James_

Thank you for the invitation to join you on a visit to the Dursleys. I'm going to have to decline. I am not very fond of the Dursleys from my dimension and am afraid that I will resent the Dursleys of this dimension for actions not their own. It is best that I am kept far from them as I do not know if I can hold my temper if confronted with any similarities to the aunt and uncle who raised me.

Yours, etc...

HJP

***

_Dear Nigel:_

Thank you for your kind letter. Luna especially appreciated the drawings you included. I believe she has hung them up in our room.

To answer your question, contrary to how it might have seemed at Hogwarts, I am not much of a flyer. Harry taught me, when he realized that I had never quite gotten over my disastrous first lesson at Hogwarts. My Gran was quite overprotective, not willing to endanger me in any way for fear that she would lose her only grandchild. She had seen her son become a permanent resident of St. Mungo's and did not want to see her family line end.

It sounds harsh in retrospect, but she loved me very much.

At any rate, I fell off my broom during our first flying lesson and broke my arm. I never really enjoyed flying after that and still prefer to keep on the ground. During the war, however, I did not always have the luxury of such preference and Harry insisted that I become competent. He's good like that.

I do not know when you'll see me next. We've been fighting a war these last seven years and I do not know if any of us know how to be normal anymore. We are struggling to learn to not hex a person when they come up behind us. At the least, we need to practice to curb those reflexes. Your parents, I'm sure, suffered a similar problem after their war with Voldemort.

Thank you for writing to me. Our days have been spent quite lazily since our arrival at the Potter Summer Cottage. I have spent some time in the gardens or in the woods that surround the house. We've also spent time learning the history of our new world. It is fascinating to see how much it deviates from our own.

I'm afraid I must close this missive now. It is my turn to go shopping for groceries.

Please give my best to you family.

Yours,

Neville Longbottom

***

_Dear Xeno and Soleil –_

There is a lovely set of woods that border the edge of the Summer Cottage. It doesn't look as if anyone has traveled through its paths for a great many years. It makes it all the more lovely, as I tramp through it, searching to see what secrets it hides. Harry and Neville sometimes accompany me, but I am more often alone on my little explorations. Harry worries that something will happen to me, but he does his best not to panic when I disappear for hours. Neville pretends it does not bother him as much, but I can tell it does. None of us are used to living in a world where ambushes and raids are not a daily occurrence.

I was quite excited to discover Nargles, Flutterbies, and Warbungles in the woods. I haven't yet found evidence of the Crumple-horned Snorkack, but Neville has assured me that we can go on an expedition to search for them soon enough. I think it will be quite fun to go camping without fear of Death Eaters.

Thank you for the subscription to The Quibbler. Harry was especially pleased to see it as he hates The Daily Prophet. We subscribe to it though, so that we may at least have an idea of what is being read by most of the British Wizarding world. Harry has been pleasantly surprised by how unbiased the paper appears. It is just one more indication of a different dimension.

I haven't really thought about what I will do in the future. I think I will travel though. There is a lot to see and discover in the world. Have you done any traveling?

\--Luna

***

_ Dear Alice and Frank, _

Thank you for the package of biscuits. Harry was a bit put out, but then he is quite possessive about his cooking. Still, even he agreed that they were quite good.

I have been working primarily in the gardens of the Summer Cottage. I have been experimenting with various hybrids of Magical and Muggle plants. So far, I haven't created anything too dangerous, though Harry asked that I try to avoid creating anymore fire-throwing plants.

Thank you also for the history book you sent to us. It has been quite helpful. It is funny how one event can have so many different consequences. We are pretty sure we've discovered where our dimensions diverged, though it will require some confirmation.

I am certain it will not surprise you to learn that each of us received a letter of interest from a certain head researcher at the Ministry. I have not yet decided what I wish to do, now that the war is over. It is not something we have really discussed with each other, though I suppose we will have to soon enough. As surprising as it may sound, I don't think any of us really thought much past the last battle. Or perhaps, such is normal.

Luna has explored the woods attached to the property and brings to me seedlings and examples of the magical plants she finds within it. Harry spends a lot of time cooking or reading up on how our worlds differ. Tonight, we are going to try to go to the cinema. It will be a test to see how well we've acclimated to peace time.

Your servant,

Neville Longbottom

***

She scowled with anger as she read the _Prophet's_ article about those blasted Potters and Longbottoms. This Turpin chit didn't give a lot of information on how they had brought back their children, but it was outrageous that they had succeeded.

The Light Side had managed to suppress those who had supported the Dark Lord in the aftermath of his defeat. Imprisoned or forced to abide by restrictions, those who had believed in the Dark Lord and his goals had sullenly gone to ground, keeping quiet about their dreams and goals for the Wizarding world while educating their children and other likeminded witches and wizards to their goals. It was only by luck that she had escaped imprisonment herself.

She didn't know how the Light Side had managed to bring back their heroes, but if they had managed _that_ with their weak ideals than _she_ could bring back the Dark Lord.

Carefully, she folded the newspaper. She had much to do if they were to succeed. Plans they had carefully harbored and nurtured for years needed to be accelerated. And she was determined that they would succeed.

***

_ Dear Althea, _

Astrid mentioned that you like Herbology. Neville is a genius in the topic and has been experimenting with some Muggle and Magical hybrids. I have enclosed some seeds for you to try. You can assure your parents that they are not one of his more dangerous experimental crossings.

I thought you might be interested in reading a copy of my dimension's Hogwarts: A History since you've expressed an interest in history as well. I only ask that you be careful of it as it was given to me by a good friend.

I hope you're enjoying your summer holidays. Please give my regards to the rest of your family.

\--HJP

***

(A letter written but never sent)

_Sirius and Remus:_

Luna and Neville tell me that I shouldn't feel hurt that you haven't contacted me. They say that you want to let me bond with James and Lily, since I have emotional ties with your counterparts that I don't have with them. Maybe they're right. I don't know. I've never been good with my feelings.

'Mione used to say I had slightly more emotional maturity than Ron, but that it was understandable because of Voldemort. She was probably right; she was usually so. Except about Ron and Ginny.

I miss you, Sirius. You were the first person who wanted me not because of who I was but because I was your godson. And Remus, you became my mentor when I needed one the most.

At least I never really knew my parents. I've grown used to their death. Seeing you here is gut wrenching, the fulfillment of a dream I have never quite gotten over.

[The ink is smudged and illegible.]

***

_Dear James and Lily,_

We would like to invite you to join us for lunch of Saturday. Please arrive at 11:30. If you cannot make it on Saturday, please let us know as soon as possible so we can reschedule.

Yours,

Harry, Neville, and Luna

***

_June, 2002_

Three months had passed since they had arrived in the new dimension. Three months of trying to forget war and pain and death. Of waking at the merest hint of sound; of looking at any stranger or even friend with suspicion until proven innocent of harmful intent; of automatically checking food and drink for poison; of seeing an assassin in every man, woman or child who passed him in the crowd.

"We can't put it off anymore," Neville insisted. "We've been here for three months. They're starting to get impatient."

Harry grimaced, but he didn't have an argument to counter that. Neville had grown from the shy Gryffindor who had bravely stood up to the Golden Trio at the end of their first year. He had grown harder; more confident in his abilities and his decision to support Harry and to stick by his side had only increased the glimpses of bravery seen in school.

"Fine," Harry pouted. "Lunch only. And… only the parents."

He nodded in agreement and they turned towards Luna, who had remained quiet so far.

"Luna?" Neville asked, pulling the small blonde into his arms and offering comfort.

She shrugged in reply and gave a wry grin. "It's difficult, more than I thought. I remember daddy and mum, but this dimension's Xeno and Soleil aren't the same. I always knew my daddy loved mum, but I didn't realize just how much her death changed him."

"I'd noticed the _Quibbler_ seemed a bit different," Harry admitted, his tone cautious so as to not bring her hurt.

"It's because mum never died. He never retreated into the fantastical."

"I'm sorry," Harry offered. Neville just hugged her.

"I kind of know what you mean," Neville confessed. "Every time I get a letter from Alice and Frank, it's just a reminder of my own parents, of how I always just wished that my parents could recognize me, that a letter from my parents would arrive in the mornings at Hogwarts."

It startled Harry, to hear that from Neville. "I knew it was difficult for us all, but I didn't realize how much you were troubled by it."

"It's like you and Sirius and Remus," Neville commented.

Harry nodded slowly, understanding what he meant. "Then, how are we going to handle this? I don't know about you, but I'm barely handling peacetime."

"We do what we must," Luna insisted. "We can't ignore our respective families here. They are too important and it would look odd."

"They can't expect us to move in with them," Neville continued. "It shouldn't be too bad, sort of like an aunt and uncle and cousins."

"Just ones that look remarkably like our parents," Harry concluded. He shook his head. "I never thought past the last battle and defeating Voldemort."

He missed the look exchanged by Neville and Luna, including their soft 'we know.' Not for nothing had they pushed their way to fight by his side and join him on his next adventure.

"You realize they're all going to push for more personal answers," Luna warned, changing the topic slightly. "They won't be put off by half answers."

"Considering who they are and where they work, I would be surprised if they did," Harry commented. "I can't help but think they're responsible for the certain job offers we've gotten lately."

"Probably," Neville agreed.

"Well, we can always tell them we're going on a hunt for the Crumple-horned Snorkack," Harry suggested, face brightening for a moment at the thought.

"You just want to go because it'll give you an excuse to avoid people for longer," Neville accused. "Of course… it would be amusing to see their faces when we tell them," he chortled. "Merlin! They won't know if they should take us serious or not!"

"Silly boys," Luna scolded. "Everyone knows they are hibernating now. We would have much better luck in the winter," she continued with a hint of the dreaminess that had categorized her before the war had truly begun. Harry had missed it.

"Of course," Harry acknowledged. "I am completely remiss. We will simply put off our expedition until then." He grinned widely at the thought.

They lapsed into silence as they contemplated their futures, something they had done quite often in the last few weeks, as they had grown used to peace.

"Definitely not going to be an Auror," Neville announced abruptly. It didn't surprise Harry to hear that. Neville had fought well during the war, but he didn't love it.

"I don't think I can work in the DOM," Harry confessed. "Too many bad memories." Sirius falling through the Veil… Tonks and Bill killed as they retreated from a raid… Luna put into coma by a curse sent by Bellatrix as they tried to get the last of rare books.

"Before we start turning down our job offers, we should probably get our qualifications," Luna pointed out, sounding so much like Hermione for a moment that Harry had to look twice to make sure it wasn't his erstwhile best friend.

"There is that," Neville agreed readily.

The sun set, creating shadows to cover the gardens. Luna leaned back into Neville, humming a tune only she knew.

"Come on," she suddenly said, pulling Neville and grabbing Harry's hand in her own as she dragged them deeper into the garden, disregarding their protests. "Come! Let us dance with the Nargles and the triple-crowned warbler!" she insisted. As the half-moon shone in the sky, the three let loose their worries and gave into the force that was Luna. Later, they followed her willingly to the big bed in the master bedroom and Neville and Harry worshipped her body, painting wet trails on soft skin, showing without words her power over them.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, exhausted yet renewed, ready to take on the challenges of the new world in which they found themselves.

***

Of course, this all went to hell the next morning, when James and Frank entered their room and found themselves facing three wands held by three very unclothed individuals.

"Oh Merlin!" Frank gasped, as he saw proof of what they had only overheard before.

"We'll um… we'll wait for you downstairs," James managed to get out before dragging his friend out the door.

"They're a bit early, aren't they?" Neville asked as he cast a quick _tempus_ charm.

"Guess they were a bit impatient," Harry replied.

"You should wash up and go and entertain them until we can join you," Luna said. Shrugging at the order, Harry went to the en suite and took a quick shower. Besides, he had to start lunch.

***

A very flushed Frank and James rushed down the stairs and joined their wives and the Lovegoods in the main entrance.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, concerned that something horrible had happened.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Frank insisted in a strangled voice, wanting desperately to erase his brain of the images seared inside them.

"The kids are just getting up," James hastened to add.

Lily raised an eyebrow, wondering why her husband wouldn't look her in the eye – unless… oh! She bit back a smile. "I told you we shouldn't have come so early," she scolded.

"Fine, you were right," James admitted, shuffling his feet. "I was just…"

"Excited. I know," Lily finished for him.

"Pardon me, but what are you all talking about?" Soleil asked, having grown more confused.

"You are aware that all three are involved… with each other, right?" Alice began. "James and Frank, in their impatience, just witnessed proof of it."

"Oh," Xeno said. "I wasn't aware. It does explain some of her comments in her letters."

Soleil looked a bit taken aback, but given the lack of concern the other families had, decided to just accept it. Perhaps triads were more common in the other universe.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a male voice startled them. Turning, they saw Harry framed in the doorway. Wearing a pair of loose trousers and a button down shirt fastened only halfway, he looked the epitome of a male Muggle model. "Luna and Neville'll be down shortly. They're just washing up."

"Sorry about earlier," James said gruffly. Harry shrugged in response.

"It happens," he replied. "We're just gladly that we didn't hurt you." It had not even occurred to the two men that they were in any danger, something Harry seemed to read in their faces. He snorted and shook his head. "You do realize we just came from a war. Yes, it's been three months, but our reflexes are still quite hair trigger."

"Of course," James agreed weakly, reddening a bit as he realized he _should_ have known that.

"We're going to eat out in the garden," Harry called out over his shoulder as he moved towards the kitchen. "You're a bit earlier than we expected, so you'll have to excuse me since we don't have anything ready."

"Do you need any help?" Soleil offered. If Harry was a part of Luna's life then she should get to know him.

He shook his head, ebony hair flowing over his shoulders. "Thanks, but I can handle it."

The three couples followed him for lack of anything better to do. As they gathered around the kitchen table, Harry moved with a grace that spoke of an economy of movement and began to get their meal ready. By the time Luna and Neville finally appeared, he had almost finished.

"Good afternoon," Neville greeted, going to the cabinets and pulling out cutlery and dishes for the table. Luna nodded her own hello as she grabbed the glasses and the selection of drinks they had chosen to go with the food.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Lily asked, feeling awkward as they moved about the room with practiced ease.

"About done, actually," Harry commented as he finished putting the last of the eggs onto a platter. He flicked his hand and gestured; to their surprise, the various platters obediently floated out the door and to the table.

"Wandless magic?" Lily mouthed to Alice, who shrugged. She had no clearer idea than anyone else.

***

"Lunch wasn't too bad," Luna commented as she leaned against Neville in the kitchen.

"Except for the beginning," Harry replied. He finished drying the last of the dishes and put them away.

"They did come a bit early, didn't they," Neville laughed. "The look on their faces though!"

"I guess it was pretty funny," Harry conceded.

"Are you going to take James and Lily up on their offer?" Neville asked.

"Probably. Astrid and Althea seem like they're nice," Harry replied. "Ignoring them won't help us here."

Neither Neville nor Luna could deny that. Each of their families had invited them for family gatherings. It was a sign of their acceptance in the new world and one they couldn't ignore.

***

"So? How did it go?" Sirius asked, bouncing his foot impatiently. Remus sent him a fond look but it did little to curb Sirius' energy. His lover absently grabbed his hand and began to play with his fingers.

"You mean after Frank and James walked in on Harry and his lovers? Quite well, I think," Lily answered with a grin.

"I apologized!" James protested sheepishly. "I figured they'd be up by then, not lolling around in bed."

Sirius barked with laughter. "You didn't?"

"Oh, he did," Lily assured them. "Came running down the stairs too, with Frank on his heels."

Even Remus laughed at that. James just pouted, arms folded across his chest while he waited for the others to finish laughing at his expense.

"Sorry, honey," Lily apologized as they calmed down. She kissed him on the cheek and squealed as he grabbed her around the waist and brought her down on his lap.

"Seriously, Prongs. How was it?"

"He's very… controlled. I don't think he let us know or see anything that he didn't want us to," James admitted. "He did agree to attend a family dinner sometime this week, so…"

"He's powerful," Lily mused. "He uses magic like it comes naturally to him, as easy as breathing. I've never seen someone use it so effortlessly."

"Padfoot, Moony, we want you two to come to dinner. You can't keep avoiding him. And you're family. You can bring Reggie too," James said.

Both of the other men began to protest but James raised his hand to stall them. "You're family. Enough said. We're not going to take a no."

Seeing that both Potters were serious, they gave in. Besides, a part of them desperately wanted to see Harry and meet him properly. To welcome him to their family. To see how their godson from another dimension had grown up.

"What day?" Remus asked.

"We're thinking Wednesday."

"I'll let Reggie know," Sirius said.

***

_July, 2002_

Harry watched with a sad smile as Luna skipped up behind Neville. She stood on her tiptoes and placed her hands over his eyes. He could hear her tinkling laughter, even from the study window in which he stood; not long afterwards, he heard the deeper rumbling of Neville's response. He watched for a few minutes more, a dark silhouette lit by the sun, hands in his trouser pockets and a pensive frown on his face. Sighing, he turned away as Luna dragged Neville deeper into the gardens.

It was difficult not to begrudge them their closeness, yet he felt guilty for feeling that way. His relationship with the two had always been driven by comfort and friendship, not the romantic love that had brought Luna and Neville together. He would always feel grateful for their inclusion into their relationship, the way they had grounded him and helped to keep him sane, to help him to believe he might live after the final battle. That they had chosen to follow him into the unknown bespoke of their intense loyalty and determination not to leave him alone.

Knowing that what they had was coming to an end did not make it any easier. Harry had always accepted that whatever they had could not last. He would not come between the two of them. Had they not invited him to their bed, he would never have joined them. And, he somehow thought they would not suggest he leave their bed until they felt he was ready to stand on his own. He did not like that they put their life on hold for him.

Brooding rarely made him feel any better, but he knew he needed to come to grips with his past and his present. He could not cling to Luna and Neville, using them as an emotional shield, there to protect him against those who might want to hurt him. They deserved better; besides, they had their own emotional hurts and whilst he did his best to comfort them as they did for him, they should not also shoulder the massive emotional and mental hurts he had accumulated in his life.

"I'm going to have to give them the shove," he realized aloud. "Not to be mean, but so they'll know I'm serious." He rested his head against the back of his chair, closing his eyes. "I need to start standing on my own again."

Not an easy task he had set up for himself, but one that needed doing – and sooner rather than later.

***

Dinner with his family became the first step. The first time he had visited them at Potter Manor at their invitation, dinner had been awkward and full of silence despite the best efforts of James, Sirius and Remus. Harry just had not known how to react to all of them, especially since it had been the first time he had spent any time with his godfather and teacher since his arrival. He didn't count the two days they had spent in Dumbledore's office.

Althea had sulked, Lily had tried to make everything perfect and Regulus Black had remained silent more often than not. Only Astrid had seemed even remotely cheerful and he suspected it was more due to her inherent nature than anything else. Harry had gratefully escaped as soon as possible.

Somehow, he suspected that Lily and James did not expect him to contact them again and suggest dinner. He forced himself to pen the polite letter, knowing that until he became comfortable with the new life before him, he could never move forward with his life. And if he couldn't do that, he didn't think Luna and Neville would either.

***

"James," Lily began, holding a letter in her hand and looking hopeful. "It's from Harry."

"Really?" James asked, surprised given their last meeting. They had tried too hard, not knowing how to react to him. In retrospect, he and Lily should have warned Harry that they were inviting Sirius and Remus, that they were considered part of the Potter family. The only member not present had been Dora and that only because of her work schedule.

"Yes. He wants to have dinner with the family again!" Lily sounded astounded, her green eyes widening as she met James' incredulous expression. "He apologizes for the last time, saying that he had not expected to see Sirius or Remus here and that it brought back some difficult memories for him."

"But he's willing to give it another go?" James wanted to know.

She nodded. "Yes. Said we should even invite the same people."

James ran a hand through his messy hair. "What do you think, Lils?"

She shrugged and bit her lip, lost in thought as she weighed the different possibilities. "Siri and Remy are family. I… Harry doesn't seem the type to say something without meaning it."

"I guess I'll let Padfoot and Moony know they're eating here on Thursday then," James announced.

"Don't forget to invite Reggie too!" Lily reminded him.

***

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Prongs?" Sirius asked, feeling doubtful.

"Not really, but he offered and Lily really wants it," James replied with a shrug. "He's trying and…" He paused and looked to the side before meeting Sirius' gaze again. "I want Harry in our lives. When Lily and I lost our Harry, I thought I would never recover. I know he's not my Harry, but he is still a version of my son. I don't want to lose the chance to have him as part of my life."

"I can't imagine the life he's lived. Remember how it was like for us during the war? We only fought for a couple of years before it ended. He fought for seven! And I suspect his life before then wasn't easy."

"I've noticed he dissembles whenever anyone asks about specifics in his life," Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. He's making an effort and Lily and I don't want to risk pushing him away, not when everything's so fragile right now. I don't think Lily could survive it if he just disappeared on us."

"Do you really think he's going to take a runner?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow in query.

James shrugged in reply. "I think there are two people holding him here right now and we know how loyal they are to him. You also know that they know magic we haven't even heard of. They could disappear without us ever finding them."

Thinking about it, Sirius realized James was correct. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll let Moony and Regulus know we're dining at your place on Thursday."

"Thanks, Padfoot," James smiled gratefully. "This means a lot to me and Lily."

Sirius flapped his hand, "No problem. Now, push off! Don't you have work to do?"

***

Breathing deeply to calm himself, Harry checked his _occlumency_, not because he feared someone would attempt to enter his mind, but because it helped to keep his emotions in check. He was determined to handle this dinner differently than last time. He carried with him the dessert he had baked this afternoon, along with a fine bottle of port. He didn't know if the Potters or Blacks drank the Muggle spirit but he knew it went well with the poached pears he had made.

Taking another moment to ensure that he looked presentable and that he had everything, he stopped delaying and apparated to Potter Manor. Ringing the doorbell, he heard it peal inside and then a stampede of feet that skidded to a stop. The door was opened by Astrid who smiled in welcome as she saw it was Harry. "Oh good, you're here. Mum and dad were worried something had happened."

"Ah, sorry," Harry apologized. "Didn't realize I was running so late,"

"Nah," Astrid assured him. "They just thought you were flooing over."

"Not with food," Harry explained. He followed her into the kitchen, where the rest of the Potters stood. Sirius, Remus and Regulus had not yet arrived, which gave Harry some relief.

"I made some dessert," he said as he offered the plate to Lily.

"You didn't need to do that!" Lily exclaimed. He shrugged a pit awkwardly and ran his hand through his hair.

"I know, but I wanted to," he finally offered. "Oh, brought this too, for after dinner." He handed the bottle of port to James who raised his eyebrow at the quality.

"I'm sure we'll enjoy it," he replied and put it on the sideboard.

"Hello, Althea," Harry greeted politely.

She grunted in reply, while Lily and James frowned at her. She finally muttered a hello, eying Harry with suspicion. He couldn't precisely blame her.

"Padfoot and the other should be here soon," James mentioned. "They're running a bit late."

"I hope you like pork chops," Lily added.

"Sounds lovely," Harry replied. An awkward silence descended. He took a deep breath. This couldn't go on. "I think I'm going to schedule a couple of Mastery exams next week."

"Oh?" James asked, inviting for more detail.

Before Harry could continue, the floo flared and Sirius, Remus and Regulus stepped through.

"Sorry we're late," Remus apologized, absently spelling off the soot that came with traveling through the floo.

"You're not that late," Lily insisted as she pulled out the tray on which the pork chops had been baking. "Dinner just finished cooking."

"Oh good," Sirius quipped. "We're just fashionably late then."

"Something like that," James replied, rolling his eyes at Sirius.

Harry watched quietly as the newly arrived guests interacted with the Potters. It bespoke of long familiarity and, well, family. Not surprising, really. He had seen hints of it in his own world, before Sirius had died. He shook his head, noting as he did that Regulus stood a slight distance apart and was watching the scene with aloofness as well.

He didn't know what to make of the younger Black. He lacked Sirius' inherent sense of humor and emitted an aura of seriousness and no-nonsense. He knew that Regulus worked in the same office as Sirius and that he had been researching something in Africa when he, Luna and Neville had arrived in this dimension. Then, there was the almost certainty the three of them had that Regulus living had directly affected the paths of their respective realities.

"It's nice to see you again," Remus greeted gently, offering his hand to Harry. He gave himself a small shake and reminded himself to _pay attention_ before offering Remus a small smile.

"You too," he replied, shaking Remus' hand. It was strange to do so as Hary was more used to a hug from the other man. _New universe, Harry,_ he reminded himself and turned to greet Sirius and Regulus, who had come up behind Remus. "I'm glad you decided to come," he simply said, shaking their hands in turn.

Before another awkward silence could descend, Lily announced that dinner was ready. Harry followed the rest of the family into the dining room and took the seat Lily indicated he should. He found himself sitting between Astrid and Regulus and across from Sirius, who sat between Remus and Althea.

James waited until dinner had been served before turning to Harry. "Harry, you were saying earlier that you're going to try for a Mastery?"

Harry finished swallowing the bite he had taken and nodded. "Yes. Not sure which ones yet, but likely Defense, Charms and Transfiguration."

"All three?" Lily asked.

"To start with," Harry replied with a shrug. "I'll probably do at least two more, maybe three or four, depending on the scholarship in the fields."

"That seems a lot," Remus stated cautiously and with a look of surprise on his face, one echoed by everyone. Harry wondered why.

Again, he shrugged. "Well, yes," he admitted. "I had a bit of an… unorthodox school experience though. The war," and his voice tightened, his eyes losing their focus as he was lost in his thoughts for a moment. He shook his head and returned to reality. "Given my role in the war, and given what I needed to accomplish, I had a lot of magic teachings drilled into me. That's not even counting the time spent traveling the world."

"Luna and Neville are going to try for a few as well. Herbology and Charms for Neville and Ancient Runes, Charms and Defense for Luna. Neville might add Defense as well. He's still a bit undecided."

"We realize that we need to gain qualifications here, before we decide what we want to do. You and the Longbottoms and Lovegoods have helped, of course, by accepting us into your families, but none of us like being idle."

"Have you given any thought as to what you want to do?" James asked.

"Not really," Harry answered, picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.

"What about in your old world?" Astrid wanted to know.

"Astrid!" Lily hissed. "Don't – "

"It's alright," Harry interrupted. He took a deep breath. "I don't mind answering." He couldn't keep his life from them, at least not the more innocent questions. He was no longer involved in a war and they asked out of genuine curiosity and not a morbid desire that would later come back to haunt him.

"I didn't really know what one could do in the Wizarding World," he began, noting that everyone seemed riveted to his answer. It made sense; they knew only what he had told them and that was precious little. "Probably why I took the electives I did."

"Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," Astrid said without prompting, remembering what he had written in his letter to her.

"Correct," he affirmed. "When I met with Professor McGonagall for the career conference in fifth year, well…" It was more difficult to explain this than he had thought. No one here had any idea of what his fifth year had been like. Absently, he rubbed his hand over the thin scars that still remained, a remnant of Umbridge and her blood quill. "The Ministry had decided to interfere with Hogwarts during my fifth year. Fudge appointed his undersecretary as Defense professor and she was… less than adequate. She was his spy, more interested in ferreting out supposed conspirators against the Ministry than teaching."

"Who's Fudge?" Althea asked.

"Cornelius Fudge became Minister of Magic after Bagnold in my dimension," Harry explained. He was somewhat surprised she had said anything. He thought it might be a good sign.

"Doesn't he work with Crouch in International Cooperation?" Sirius asked James.

"I think so," James answered. "He's a bit of a bootlicker, though."

Harry snickered. It described the man pretty well. "He became Minister in part because of men like Lucius Malfoy – Death Eaters who pled _Imperious_ and never went to Azkaban," he continued. He ignored the sounds of disgust from the adults. "They liked him because if they bribed him, he would look the other way until he couldn't."

"Idiot." Surprisingly, it was Regulus who said this. Of course, he _had_ been a Death Eater and knew them so he probably had a better idea than most of just how stupid Fudge had been.

"Exactly. Anyway, Fudge, helped by suggestions by Malfoy and other Death Eaters, believed that Dumbledore was conspiring against the Ministry, that he wanted it for himself. He sent Delores Umbridge to ferret out the conspiracy. She decided to sit in on my career conference and, well… it wasn't really much of a conference."

"Like I said, I didn't know what jobs there were in the Wizarding world and I didn't really have anyone I could ask. I knew what an Auror was and had spoken with Tonks a couple of times about it during the summer, so when McGonagall asked what I wanted to do, I came up with that."

"It ended up being moot anyway," he ended and taking a bite of his supper.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"The Ministry fell to Voldemort and his Death Eaters by October of what would have been my seventh year. And Hogwarts had closed at the end of my sixth."

"Hogwarts closed?" Althea asked. "But… but… _why_?" She couldn't believe anything could make the school close.

Harry looked to Lily and James to see what they wanted him to say. Lily gave him a small smile and nodded, so he assumed he could answer. He didn't know how much detail Althea and Astrid could handle, so tried to be as succinct as possible.

"Voldemort had two of his Death Eaters kill Professor Dumbledore at the end of my sixth year," he answered, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. It was one of his worst memories, bound and hidden, forced to watch Snape and Malfoy kill Dumbledore and unable to do a thing to stop it. "The Ministry decided to close the school but Professor McGonagall kept it open as a safe haven for the Light." _Please don't ask what happened to Hogwarts,_ he silently begged. He didn't want to reopen those old wounds either.

"Are you still interested in becoming an Auror?" James asked, diverting the attention away from all that Harry had just recounted. He shot James a grateful look.

"Not really," he responded with a small shrug and a grimace. "I've had enough of chasing after Dark Wizards."

"Understandable, really," James acknowledged. "Let me know if you ever change your mind. Amelia would love to have someone with your skills, I'm sure."

"What about you, Althea," Harry politely asked. "Have you decided what you would like to do after Hogwarts?"

"Something with Herbology, I think," she muttered. "Or Healing."

"You should speak to Neville," Harry commented. "Herbology is really his subject."

"I liked the seeds he sent me," Althea admitted. "They're very colorful."

"And non-lethal," Harry quipped, a small smile dancing on his face and lighting up his expression.

"Are his experiments not usually so?" Regulus asked, startling Harry who had not heard the other man say more than a handful of words the entire night.

"Depends," he finally answered. "When was it…?" he mused. "I think it was the summer after Fifth year… he experimented on a _Mimbletonia Mimbletonius_. Crossed it with some other exotic plant he had found in South America. He had wanted to see if the sap could be used in potions. Unfortunately, he created a highly toxic poison. Came in handy later on, of course, but yeah… his Herbology experiments can lead to interesting results."

"What do your friends plan to do?" Lily inquired.

Taking a sip of wine, he leaned back in his chair. "Neville doesn't want to be an Auror and neither does Luna. Both are tired of fighting. Realistically, they will get their qualifications and probably set out on Herbology and Creature expeditions together. They like exploring the unknown and it would appeal to them."

He bent his head to cut some more of the meat so missed the concerned looks shared by the adults. Did that mean that Harry would join them?

"Remus, you're the Defense professor at Hogwarts, right?" Harry asked, after taking another bite of food. At his nod, he continued. "How long?"

"The last ten years," he replied.

"The Remus in my world taught my third year. He was the best Defense professor we had," Harry commented. He carefully wiped his mouth with his napkin before setting it back on his lap and picking up his glass of wine.

"What happened after that?" Sirius asked.

"One of the other professors revealed to the students that he was a werewolf. He resigned before he could be fired." Snape's actions still made him see red. Such a petty and bitter man. His death had happened almost as an afterthought; just one of several Death Eaters killed when Harry and Neville had collapsed the ceiling on Death Eater safe house using some Weasley Twin's products. They all considered it a rather fitting end for a man who had single-handedly set back the Light side for years with his turncoat ways.

Forks clattered against china as nearly everyone dropped their utensils. Regulus almost choked on the sip of wine that he had taken and Sirius and James started laughing. Remus looked bemused and Lily giggled. Only the girls looked as confused as Harry felt.

"So, wait… I was a werewolf in your dimension?" Remus asked. He poked Sirius to try and shut him up but it didn't do much good.

"I take you're not here?" Harry responded. He frowned. "But if you're not a werewolf, why do you still feel like a wolf? Why do they call you Moony… unless? You're a wolf animagus?"

He silenced the table with his musings. "I feel like a wolf?" Remus wanted to know. The Unspeakables at the table looked as if they wanted to interrogate Harry on just what he could do with magic.

Shifting in his chair, Harry felt a bit uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "I think it's because I worked a lot of magic with my Remus and I know how his magic feels," he finally told them. He wasn't lying per se; it just wasn't the whole extent of his magic-sensing abilities. He did not see why they needed to know all of what he could do, though and the war had finally gotten rid of his more Gryffindor-esque qualities.

"Oh," Remus said. "To answer your question, I am a wolf animagus."

Sirius snorted. "It's funny though. In your dimension, I take it we all had the same nicknames? Something to think about maybe."

"Yeah. Sirius said that he, my dad and Peter learned the animagus transformation to keep Remus company on the full moons."

"Peter?" James asked, curious. He didn't know any Peter.

"Peter Pettigrew," Harry spoke the name with a cold edge.

"Don't know him," James thought aloud.

It was Harry's turn to snort with laughter. "He was my parent's secret keeper."

No one really knew what to say after that. Lily turned the attention to her daughters and the rest of dinner passed quietly. Harry even contributed some more questions to the two girls.

***

James was thrilled when Harry didn't opt to leave straight after dinner. Lily had suggested that they enjoy dessert and port in the living room, an idea to which everyone heartily agreed. After dessert, Astrid and Althea went up to their rooms and bed, but Harry remained, conversing quietly with the others.

"Do you work in the same office as Sirius and Lily?" Harry asked Regulus, taking the time to look over the younger Black. He resembled his older brother greatly, with glossy black locks, currently pulled back in a low ponytail, the same tall and lithe build, and the same grey eyes. Regulus shared more features with his mother than Sirius, with a sharper chin and smaller nose. Where Sirius' eyes danced with laughter and good humor, Regulus carefully kept his emotions banked, making his grey eyes seem colder than his brother's. It made for an interesting contrast between them, especially when they stood near one another.

"Yes, though I do more traveling than he does," Regulus answered.

"Sirius mentioned you were away recently and that was why you weren't among the… interested parties when we arrived," Harry commented, glossing over the interrogation they had been put under with barely a pause.

"Indeed," Regulus agreed. "My research led me to the Ekets.

"Really? I visited it in my own world. They are a fascinating people and very knowledgeable."

Regulus couldn't help but wonder what exactly had led Harry there; he had gone because they were well known for their abilities in soul and death magic. He made a resolution to question Sirius on what exactly the three had said about their dimension, because there was only one reason that he could think of that would have brought Harry to the Ekets.

"Did you do a lot of traveling?" Lily asked, joining the conversation. She wanted to know all that Harry would let her know. That he had proven so forthcoming tonight had given her hope that Harry would eventually accept them as family and lose his guarded behavior around them. Even now, he sat in one of the most defensible positions in the room, his eyes constantly darting to catalogue where everyone and everything was situated. He had not lost his combat readiness, but then she doubted it would happen anytime soon. It had taken her and James quite a while to stop jumping at every noise after the war, a matter not helped with the death of their son.

"After it became obvious that what we needed did not currently exist within Britain, we had to," Harry shrugged. "Besides, it also kept Voldemort and his Death Eaters from completely decimating the Light Side. We became quite good at smuggling out those witches and wizards who couldn't handle the war. Or children," he added, a pensive look on his face.

"In the end, the only magicals in Britain were those who had chosen a side. Not even the usual neutrals remained that way for the whole of it. I imagine a number of those who had fled will return now that the war is over and attempt to rebuild."

"Of course, it will be all the more difficult with most of the infrastructure completely destroyed or looted." He smirked evilly, something that surprised the others.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

Harry raised his hand and began naming and ticking off each destroyed government building. "Let's see… Gringotts, destroyed about four years ago; the Ministry, three years ago; Hogwarts, two and a half years ago. Diagon Alley was destroyed over a continuous period once Voldemort stopped staying low. It became a favored place for battles or black market activities or exchanges. The Death Eaters took great pleasure in destroying St. Mungo's after they took over the Ministry completely." He grimaced as he ticked off that last one. The way the Death Eaters had simply executed the patients before setting it on fire haunted his nightmares. Neville had changed even further after that.

With practiced ease he banished those thoughts. "When Hogwarts fell, the Death Eaters also destroyed Hogsmead. Most of the Quidditch stadiums were destroyed, mostly to prevent a large group of people gathering. Pretty much any public place was completely destroyed by one side or the other."

"I can't imagine," Remus finally said, verbalizing the thoughts everyone in the room had.

"It was war," Harry said with a shrug. "Doesn't make it better, but it's the truth."

"But you spent a lot of time traveling?" James asked, hoping that Harry hadn't been so involved in the fighting that he described. Of course, the other man had scars that were not hidden by his clothing, which likely indicated that he had even more underneath the serviceable robes he wore.

"When it was needed," Harry replied in a tone that neither confirmed nor denied the assumptions James had made. "Going to a foreign country also helped us lose whatever DEs tailed us. Other countries might have remained neutral and refuse to send aid, but they also refused to deport anyone that showed up in their countries that Voldemort had declared an enemy of the British State."

The world Harry described was not one in which any of the inhabitants of the room could even imagine living. The more they learned of it, the more they understood why he and his friends seemed so cautious.

"This is a very fine port," Sirius complimented, for lack of a better way to change the subject. Remus and Regulus rolled their eyes at his obvious attempt but Harry looked a bit grateful at the man who would have been his godfather.

The contrast between the Sirius of this world and the Sirius of his own could not be more obvious. His Sirius had never truly recovered from Azkaban; his hair had remained lank, his skin sallow and his eyes dull. This Sirius exuded a vibrancy that begged others to join him in having fun.

Similarly, the Remus of this dimension very obviously didn't suffer from the harsh transformations of a werewolf and so looked his age – if not younger. Whereas his counterpart had silver threaded through his golden hair, this one did not. He also did not have any visible scars, another distinguishing feature of Harry's werewolf friend. How strange it was to consider that despite not being a werewolf, his father and his friends still bore the same nicknames and same animagus forms. Other differences, such as a lack of Peter, made him wonder just who had betrayed the Potters and Longbottoms. None of the books he had read had named the person responsible, just referred to the person as the 'Traitor.'

Asking didn't seem appropriate, at least not tonight. He felt grateful that Sirius had so obviously steered the conversation away from the more fraught topic of the war and his experience during it.

At the end of the night, Harry felt like he had honestly attempted to get to know the family that so wanted to claim him as theirs. He had tried to answer their questions as best he could, without having to go into depth in areas he didn't yet feel comfortable thinking about, never mind sharing with others. He even gave Lily a tentative hug, something that seemed to please her, judging by the teary eyed smile she had given him.

All in all, he counted it as a success – and another move in the right direction.

***

"Astrid, have you sent back to Professor McGonagall your response on the electives you want to take?" Lily asked her daughter.

"Not yet," Astrid responded, not looking very interested as she ate her breakfast.

"What are you waiting for?" Lily wanted to know, a tough of exasperation in her voice.

"I wrote to Harry and asked for his advice," Astrid answered in a casual tone. "I want to wait until I hear from him before I send it in. Besides, it's not due until the end of the month."

"Why did you ask _him_?" Althea wanted to know. While Lily and James had reassured her that Harry would never replace her in their affection, she was still quite touchy about him.

"Mum said I should ask the family what they thought before I decided. He's family, isn't he?" She looked up, a bit uncertain. By and large, she had accepted the presence of Harry without question. Lily didn't know why she had no trouble with him but was grateful that one of her daughters didn't distrust him.

"Of course he is, honey," Lily hastened to reassure Astrid. "Just… don't be surprised if he doesn't answer you." For every three letters they had sent to him, Harry had responded to perhaps one. It made her wonder if they were pushing too hard to make him feel welcome. She hadn't had the courage to ask Alice and Frank or Soleil and Xeno if they had had any better luck with their sort-of-children.

She hadn't been blind to Harry's interactions with the Potters. Neville had resorted to formality with his family and Luna was friendliness incarnate, but Harry – he had so many barriers that guarded his emotions. She had only seen Neville and Luna breach them and then only for a few short moments. He reminded her a bit of a wild animal, one that didn't quite trust that he wouldn't be hurt at the first opportunity. Oh, he acted friendly and shared a few anecdotes when pushed, but he didn't exude a sense of warmth. No wonder Althea had worries!

"He'll write," Astrid assured her.

Lily didn't know why she sounded so sure, but she didn't want to dissuade her of that belief, so kept quiet. Althea snorted but refrained from saying anything.

***

_Dear Astrid, _

I'm at a loss on why you want my opinion on which electives to take next year, but will give it a go. I have also asked Luna and Neville for their opinions.

To answer your question, I listened to my best mate at the time, and took Divination – despite not having a lick of talent in it - and Care of Magical Creatures. Ron had suggested it because both were easy classes. My other best mate went overboard and took every elective offered, though she eventually dropped Divination and Muggle Studies. Unlike many of my fellow year mates, I didn't have anyone to go to for advice. Thinking back, I should have asked my head of House what she thought, but Professor McGonagall can seem quite intimidating at times, and I didn't think to bother her with it.

Keep in mind that I didn't go to your Hogwarts and may have had different professors than you.

\- Unless it is drastically different here, Muggle Studies was a joke. Hermione complained all the time about how the teacher didn't even know about computers or televisions or movies. She said that the professor didn't seem to realize that Muggles had moved beyond the Victorian age. If you really want to know about Muggles, I can lend you some history books. I imagine however, that your mother knows about the Muggle world, since she is Muggleborn. In that case, you should just ask her if you have any questions and not take the class.  
\- If you don't have talent in Divination don't bother taking it. I didn't see the professor who taught me when I was at Hogwarts, so who knows? It could be better here, but I got tired very quickly of having the teacher predict my death every class. I learned absolutely nothing – except what a Grim was.  
\- Depending on the professor, Care of Magical Creatures can be a fun class. I enjoyed it, though our professor didn't quite understand the concept of safe animals. For our first class, he introduced us to hippogriffs. After I was "volunteered" to greet him, he threw me up on him to go for a ride. While a lot of fun, it might not be for everyone. Neville, for one, would have fainted. Luna commented that she was one of the few that appreciated what they learned.   
\- I don't know how the last two subjects are taught at Hogwarts. Hermione took both and loved them. I'm self-taught in both subjects out of necessity. Luna says she really liked Runes and Neville thought Arithmancy was hard but worth it. Runes are very useful for a bunch of different careers and Arithmancy is good for spell creation. If you're good at math, taking Arithmancy is a good idea.

Have you given any thought on what you want to do after Hogwarts? If you have, you should see what the requirements are necessary for it. I was told that it is very difficult to take NEWTs in subjects after you leave Hogwarts. It could be different here.

I'm sure you've already asked your parents their advice. If you like magical creatures and if the professor knows his stuff, then it is a fun class to take. Luna and Neville tell me that Runes has more practical applications that Arithmancy. I don't know what else to suggest, except to consider all the advice carefully and then take what you want or sounds like fun.

I hope this helps. Give my regards to the rest of your family.

\--Harry

***

"So, 'Thea, how do you like the newest Potter?" Dora asked, joining her sort-of cousin where she sat under a tree in the Potter's garden.

"He's not a Potter," she replied with an angry sniff. "Why?" She looked with suspicion at her, eyes narrowed. "Did mum and dad send you?"

She hid her grimace at her cousin's guess. Hopefully, Althea would listen to her rather than ignore what she had to say. "Your parents mentioned you don't seem to like Harry. Why don't you think he's a Potter?" Dora carefully tried. "You know that his appearance isn't going to change much."

"But it already has!" Althea protested, sounding upset and frustrated.

"What do you mean, kiddo?"

She huffed and drew her knees up to her chest. "Mum and dad are all concerned about making him feel comfortable with the family. These stupid weekly dinners and and - they talk about him all the time. And Uncle Siri and Remy and Regulus – they all care about him too and what he thinks and what he's going to do. And it's – Harry died. Why did this one have to come here?"

Dora didn't override Althea's concerns or insecurities. She leaned back against the tree and draped her arm around her cousin's shoulders. "I barely remember the end of the war. Too young, really. I do remember how devastated your parents and uncles were over Harry's death. And how excited they were when Aunt Lily was pregnant with you."

"This isn't easy for them, 'Thea, any more than it is for you. It's not an easy thing, to bury a child, especially one as young as Harry. The knowledge that somewhere out there, their son survived when Voldemort attacked them? That's miraculous to them. And now he's here."

"But believe me, Althea. They _know_ he's not their little boy. And I bet you, he realizes they're not his parents or godfathers. Your parents want the chance to know him though, and he wants the same."

"Do you think they even care that Harry's birthday is next week?" Althea finally asked.

"Oh, sweetie. I know they do – and not because of this new Harry," Tonks comforted. "Is that what's been bothering you? That everyone will forget your brother now that another version of him is here?"

She felt a hesitant nod against her shoulder. Dora dropped a kiss against her head. "Nope. Not happening, hon. Your parents already mentioned this to me. We're doing the same thing we do every year. The only difference is that your parents are sending this new Harry birthday greetings and a small gift. But they're not planning on spending the day with him."

"I know it's not easy, Althea. His arrival is a big deal and means a big change for your family. Even if your parents have no desire for him to take the place of their son, he's still a part of your family. Try and give him a chance – can you do that?"

Dora held her breath, wondering what Althea would decide. She couldn't blame the young girl for feeling threatened by Harry's appearance. Lily and James had tried their best to make their girls feel loved and not worry about the new addition to the family. Astrid simply accepted the new situation with a shrug and a smile, but Althea had serious reservations about Harry's appearance and nothing they had said or done seemed to assure her. Dora just hoped that she had helped ease some concerns a little bit, even if the oldest Potter daughter still remained cautious.

"I guess…" Althea finally whispered.

"Good girl," Dora praised. "Now then, your mum said you received some exciting news in the post?"

At that, Althea perked up, removing her head from where she had had it against her knees and smiled brilliantly. "Professor McGonagall made me Prefect!"

"Congratulations kiddo! That's great news!"

She received an enthusiastic nod. "Yep. I don't know why Marla lost her badge, but mum is really excited and dad pretends he's not but I can tell he really is."

"Have you told Nigel?" Dora teased and watched as her cousin blushed a bright red at her implication.

Althea sniffed and gave her a haughty gaze as she very obviously tried to regain her composure. "As it happens, I have."

Dora continued to tease her until she got tired and decided to tickle her until she gave up. By the time she departed the Potter house, she felt as though she'd broken a few holes in the shell Althea had around herself where this new Harry was concerned.

***

"Lily and I were talking and we want you to accept this," James told Harry, handing him a piece of parchment that looked awfully official. He took it, feeling nervous for a reason he couldn't quite identify and opened it.

Scanning it, he could only surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked, feeling a bit bewildered.

James shrugged in response, looking a bit uncomfortable himself. "You like it, don't you? Doesn't seem fair for you to buy your own place when the Summer Cottage just sits around empty most of the year. I don't think we've used it but a handful of times since Lily and I married. Too busy with work and the kids. A place like that should be used, not just sit around empty."

"I don't… I don't want to take something away from Astrid or Althea," Harry protested. "It's not like I don't have the money to buy my own place."

"We _know_ that," James huffed in frustration. He ruffled his hair and pinched his nose. "Look, we know you're self-sufficient. You've made it pretty clear. Lily and I… we _want_ you to have it. Astrid and Althea will have plenty of inheritance left over to squabble over. Besides, it's just a life estate. It'll revert back to the Potter estate on your death. Lily and I did something similar for Nymphie when she reached twenty-one and the girls will get their own life estates when they marry or reach twenty-one, whichever happens first."

"Nymphie?" Harry asked, distracted by the reference. It did make him feel a bit better to realize that the generosity displayed by James and Lily seemed more in line with a Potter family tradition than a desire to spoil their extra-dimensional son.

"Nymphadora Tonks. We helped to raise her, along with Pads, Moony and Reggie," James explained.

"Oh. Hadn't realized she was an orphan," Harry commented. He had his head down, re-reading the parchment and so missed James strangled expression. Had he seen it, he would have questioned it. But since he hadn't, he let the topic go.

"Thanks," Harry finally said. "I… just thanks," and he gave James a rare smile.

James clasped him on the shoulder. "I know we're not really your parents, but we do consider you a part of our family. Don't be afraid to ask us for anything, if you need it."

Harry nodded, thanking him again. It felt less and less awkward to spend time with James and Lily the more he did so. He still thought it strange to have a family that actually cared about him and what he did but he also thought he could get used to it eventually.

***

"Luna!" Xeno gestured wildly as he waved her to the table he had commandeered at the Three Broomsticks. Soleil, she noticed, was not waiting with him. She buried the pang of hurt at that and made sure she had a smile on her face as she hurried to his side.

"Xeno," she greeted, stepping into the hug he offered. For a moment, she let herself believe this was _her_ father, the man who had raised her to believe in all sorts of magical creatures and who had died doing what he could to thwart Voldemort. It wasn't an easy thing to do since Xeno did not wear the same fashions as her beloved father had. Just one more difference between the two men and one more reminder that he wasn't her father. "It's good to see you," she continued as she pulled back. "I hope you weren't waiting long."

"No, no," Xeno hastened to assure her. He sat in his seat and pulled the bottle of butterbeer he had already ordered closer to him. "Haven't been here long at all."

"Soleil couldn't make it?" she carefully asked, the 'again' hanging heavily in the air between him. He avoided her gaze, fiddling with the bottle in his hands as he shook his head.

"She's busy. Very busy, with work," he finally said. "Perhaps next time."

"Of course," Luna nodded, trying to sound gracious and not hurt that the woman who could have been her mother chose to ignore her. Save for a few letters and two or three meetings, Soleil Lovegood avoided her extra-dimensional daughter, leaving Xeno to provide weaker and weaker excuses as time and again only he tried to establish a relationship with Luna.

"How are you and the boys?" Xeno asked.

Luna returned his strained smile with one of her own and answered. He, at least, seemed to want to know her. It bothered her that Soleil did not, especially when the Potters and Longbottoms displayed far more enthusiasm for the new members of their families. And while they welcomed her into their clans, she wanted the Lovegoods to accept her, wanted some version of her parents.

It stung that only Xeno cared enough to try.

***

Dora had heard a lot about Harry – not just because she was an Auror and part of the detail assigned to watch him before the Minister declared he and his friends safe (or at least not an immediate danger to the British Wizarding world). Letters from Althea, worrying about Harry's presence in her parent's lives were frequent; Astrid didn't seem as concerned as her sister, but happily wrote about her new family member and how he had helped her chose her electives. Lily and James didn't bother her with what concerns they had, but they also saw her as a daughter, so it didn't particularly surprise her.

For her part, she wanted to meet the young man who was a version of her adoptive parent's son properly and not in an interrogation or as part of her job. While he physically resembled James, his actions certainly hadn't and it fascinated her. More than that, she wanted to know what she was like in Harry's original reality. Perhaps it was a selfish wish, but she wondered what the differences between his reality and this one were and on a more personal level rather than the global differences, so to speak.

"Wotcher, Aunt Lily and Uncle James!" she called out as she let herself in through the front door. "Finally got off the night shift," she continued to explain as she carelessly flung her cloak on a nearby chair and stomped into the kitchen.

"Glad you could make it, Dora," Lily smiled as she tossed the salad. Althea murmured a greeting while Astrid ran up to her for a hug.

"How're you doing, squirt?" Dora asked as she picked the youngest Potter up and twirled her around.

"Mum and Uncle Remus took us to Diagon today to pick up our supplies," the young girl informed her. "I decided to take Ancient Runes and Arithmancy because Harry and Luna and Neville and Mum and Dad all suggested it."

"Harry did, huh?" Dora said, amused that Astrid so valued her sort-of brother's opinion.

"I don't know why his opinion mattered so much," Althea muttered from where she sat at the table, scrubbing and peeling potatoes.

Lily looked up from where she stood and frowned with concern at her oldest daughter. Dora decided to step in before a fight began.

"Now, Althea, I'm sure Astrid just wanted to know what he thought. After all, he does come from a different reality than ours. Maybe he had a different perspective than we do."

"Althea doesn't really like Harry," Astrid confided _sotto voce_.

"I know, baby," Dora whispered back. "She's just worried. She doesn't want anyone hurt."

"I don't understand that," Astrid said. "He's nice. He tells me stories about his old home."

"Does he? Well that's good," Dora replied. She made a mental note to speak to Althea before the night was over. She could understand her cousin's concern and didn't want her to think that the adults simply ignored it.

"Althea," Lily began, "I know you're uneasy about Harry, but please can you give him a chance?"

She received a grunt in reply and seemed to realize that was all she would get as she sighed and shook her head. Hopefully, time would help.

***

If Harry was surprised by the addition of Dora, he certainly didn't betray it.

"And Dora's finally gotten off the night shift, so she's here now," James explained. "She's an Auror and Sirius' cousin. We all helped raise her after her dad's death."

"Nice to meet you," Harry greeted, shaking her hand. "You're an Auror?"

"Yep," Dora replied with a big smile. "Was I one where you were from?" She didn't see a need to pretend that he might not know a version of her from his reality.

Harry blinked and seemed a bit taken aback. "Uh… yes, actually. A protégé of Shacklebolt and Mad Eye."

"Whose Mad Eye?" James asked.

"Alastor Moody?" Harry replied.

"Why was he called Mad Eye?" Dora asked, feeling a bit awed that his Moody had taken her under his wing. The Senior Auror Captain was notoriously picky about who he chose to shepherd.

"He, uh… near the end of the first war, when he brought in the Lestranges, he lost his eye and leg. Had this magical eye instead, that had all sorts of magical enchantments on it. Made him look a bit mad," Harry explained. "I suppose that didn't happen here?"

"No," Lily answered and wondered just what other differences existed.

"I suppose…" Harry began to muse before his face closed off and he put on a bland smile. "Well, there will be differences." Dora wished he would have completed his thought and by the frustrated looks on the other's faces, they felt the same.

"Are Siri and Remi coming too?" Dora asked.

"They said they were," Lily replied. "They're probably running late though."

"So like usual," Dora laughed.

It didn't take long for a more innocuous conversation to start up, largely helped by Astrid, who demanded that Harry relate another 'story' from his reality. To Dora's surprise, he obliged, though she could tell he had cleaned it up quite a bit. It also made her wonder just what his life was like that he was forced to start a defense club just to learn enough defense to pass his OWLs. Lily and James clearly felt the same, though they too refrained from pushing for more details.

Sirius and Remus showed up not much later and Dora leapt up to greet them. She hadn't seen either for a while, due to her work schedule and she missed them.

"No Reggie?" she wanted to know, pouting slightly.

"He's working on a project," Sirius answered, rolling his eyes at her interested face. "Top secret, love," he teased. "Can't tell you."

"Very mature," Lily chided.

"Do you really expect anything different from Pads?" Remus asked. "I swear it's like he never left Hogwarts."

"Aw… but you still love me!" Sirius insisted, pouting slightly.

Harry, Dora noticed, watched all this with a bemused smile. She wondered if Sirius and Remus had acted like this in his world.

Dinner didn't provide her with any more real insight into Harry, which disappointed her. Oh, he answered questions posed to him, or deflected them with practiced skill, but he rarely gave any real details – just as Lily and James had complained.

On the other hand, he seemed to soak up the familial atmosphere and watched everyone with eyes that looked at times confused and at times bittersweet. If anyone else noticed this, they certainly didn't let it show.

By the end of the night, Dora might not have learned much more than she already knew about Harry, but she did know she wanted to know him better.

***

"Ah, Remus my good boy," the Headmaster greeted. "How has your break been?"

Eyeing him warily, Remus cautiously replied. "Fine. And yours?"

"Oh, quite good, quite good. I suppose you spent a lot of time with the Potters?"

"Um… yes," Remus said, inwardly frowning and wondering what the headmaster wanted. "Sirius and I usually spend quite a lot of time with James and Lily – and our god children."

"Yes, I suppose you do. And… did you spend time with young Harry?" Professor Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with a look Remus couldn't identify, which made him even more cautious. Family came first for Sirius and him and even if Harry hadn't been born in this reality, he was family.

"A fair bit," he admitted. "He usually has dinner with James and Lily once a week or so."

"They are getting along, then?" the Professor inquired, peering over his glasses and into Remus' eyes.

He shrugged in reply and looked to the side. "As far as I know, yes."

"And has young Harry said anything about what he plans to do here?"

"Not really," Remus said. In truth, Harry had remained remarkably close mouthed about his future plans, something that frustrated nearly everyone. "If I may ask, Professor, why are you so concerned?"

"No reason, really," the Headmaster replied, eyes twinkling. "I was just concerned that he and the others might be having some difficulty adjusting to their arrival."

"They seem to be handling it fine," Remus hedged. He wasn't going to admit that Althea still seemed wary or that they couldn't tell from one visit to the next how Harry would act or if they were ever going to peel away all of Harry's layers. He was family and thus, they protected him, even from Albus Dumbledore.

"Well, do let them know I am here if they need any advice or assistance," the professor offered. "Now, then, about your lesson plans…" and the conversation turned to the actual purpose of the meeting. Remus forced himself to pay attention, but made a note to discuss the professor's strange behavior with Sirius.


	4. Part III: The Parting of Ways

"He's pulling back, isn't he," Neville commented to Luna as he discreetly watched Harry flip through a book in their shared library. She nodded in agreement.

"He's decided it's time to move on," she replied. "He's not spent more than a handful of nights in our bed since we took the Mastery exams."

"Why is he acting like this?" Neville needed to know and feeling a bit put out that the other man had unilaterally decided that their affair had ended.

"Considering that this is Harry, I imagine he feels that he must make the first move. He's never really considered what we have as permanent," Luna tried to explain. She felt the same hurt that Neville did and she wanted to shake their third and ask him why he insisted on acting like that. And yet…

"You and Neville never hid that you asked me to join you for comfort, nothing else," Harry's awkward voice broke into their thoughts. It shouldn't have surprised them that he had overheard them even though they were across the room and speaking softly.

Harry clenched his hands around the book he had been reading, a tight look on his face that hid his emotions. He put up a hand to forestall their protests. "You were together a while before you decided to add me to the mix. You saw what I was going through and took matters in your own hands. And I appreciate it, I really do."

"Harry -" Luna protested, wondering if after all this time he thought they had only asked him out of pity.

"I know you never stayed with me out of a sense of charity. There is love between us," Harry insisted earnestly. "But it's not romantic love. You two have the type of love that lasts a lifetime. We though - the three of us have a solid friendship and platonic love and I couldn't ask for two better people to stand by my side."

"How can you say we don't want to be with you for the rest of our lives?" Neville whispered brokenly. Harry looked away, his own green eyes full of emotions he rarely spoke of.

"It's the truth – and you know it."

He moved towards the door, still clenching the book and paused. "I'm not trying to hurt you." Hollow words when it was clear that he had despite his well-meaning intentions.

***

_December, 1997:_

After Nagini almost killed Harry and after the snake had confirmed to Harry that Voldemort had moved the horcruxes, there was no reason for him and Hermione to bungle around the countryside. He finally admitted – to himself at least – that he needed help to complete the task placed on him by Dumbledore.

Ron's desertion had stung, but it also had given strength to the doubt that he could actually find the horcruxes where Dumbledore had failed. Hermione hadn't said so, but he could tell she halfway agreed with some of what Ron had said. Finding the locket had been a bit of good luck, but possession of it did nothing if they couldn't figure out how to destroy it. None of the copious amount of books Hermione had dragged along in her moleskin bag had an answer.

Sometimes, Harry truly hated Dumbledore. Not enough for the old man to keep him at Privet Drive, despite a family that hated him; not enough to ignore him for an entire year and not tell him the why of it; not enough to keep the prophecy a secret until he could no longer do so; not enough to _burden_ him with the prophecy right after the death of the only person who loved him for being _Harry_ and not the Boy-Who-Lived. No. He had to give Harry a seemingly impossible task, with the strictest instructions to only tell Ron and Hermione.

How could three students – not even graduated from Hogwarts – succeed, where the acknowledged 'Greatest Wizard of the Twentieth Century' had failed?

And of course, there were the visions. Despite Hermione's continued belief and shrill admonishments, Harry did in fact practice _occlumency_. It just didn't prevent visions from Voldemort from slipping through. He had begun to suspect that his scar was more than just a connection to Voldemort, but he had no idea of _what_ it could be.

(On occasion, when Hermione sounded particularly shrill, he wanted to scream at her that until she tried the so-called art, she shouldn't talk about it as if it were as easy as snapping one's fingers. Snape's 'teaching' hadn't helped and the few books he had read on the subject were more vague than anything else. He muddled through and could block out most things, but not when Voldemort raged.)

He had 'seen' Snape reveal to Voldemort Dumbledore's last mission for Harry. He had hoped it was a lie, akin to when he was lured to the Department of Mysteries to save Sirius. Unfortunately, it seemed that Snape had truly turned to Voldemort's side. So much for Dumbledore's vaunted 'trust.'

It felt strange and oddly humbling to sneak to Hogwarts, the current headquarters for the Order. He had blown off the concerned members when they had asked what Dumbledore had said to him the night he had died. How arrogant he had been! So certain that he could finish the task before him. How fanciful.

"We don't have to do this," Hermione reminded him as they hid in the tree line at the edge of Hogwart's wards.

"Right. 'Cause we're doing so brilliantly on our own," he replied with an incredulous stare. "We don't know a thing, Hermione. And Voldemort's moved them. Even with the locket, we haven't a clue on how to destroy it. We need help, Hermione. We _can't_ do this on our own."

She sighed, looking at the imposing walls of the castle, a far away look in her eyes. "I know. It doesn't make it any easier."

"No, it doesn't."

***

_June 2000:_

Neville asked Luna to Hogsmeade in his sixth year. He had invited her because she was his friend, because she seemed to like him and because she listened to him when so many others did not. His fellow students still saw him as the bumbling idiot, incapable of casting a spell correctly, despite his participation in the Department of Ministry battle. He wasn't the only one still looked down upon: Luna still endured the teasing and jeers of her Housemates, though Harry had managed to threaten enough of her tormentors to leave her alone for the most part.

The first time he invited her, he wanted companionship. Visits to Hogsmeade ceased to provide much excitement for most Hogwarts students after their first few trips and he only really went to stock up on more candy or quills or to grab a butterbeer.

The second time he invited her, it was because he found her fascinating. Luna looked at the world unlike any other person he'd ever met and she somehow managed to make Hogsmeade seem new and exciting.

The third time he invited her, the Death Eaters decided to attack and they surprised their peers by being among the few student uninjured at the end of the attack. Astonishing considering how much in the thick of things they were, having taken an active defense against the enemy.

By Yule, no one doubted their relationship. And in the dark months that followed Professor Dumbledore's death, he was grateful to have the company and growing love of Luna. It was a brightness in their lives as their world fell apart; Voldemort appeared unstoppable, making the horizon seem very dark indeed.

Then Harry returned. He wasn't the Harry they remembered: harsher, more cynical, thinner, bitter. Rumors abounded of an impossible task set by Professor Dumbledore on the young hero's shoulders; of Ron Weasley walking out and breaking the Golden Trio; of Ron hiding out in France, ostensibly as protection for the pregnant Fleur, though no one really believed that; of intense training sessions by any of the older Order members who had skills they were willing to pass on; of a research project that could end the war.

They watched as Harry grew thinner, more strung out and increasingly frustrated by the Order's refusal to act offensively in the war. He studied and badgered various members to learn every type of magic he could, working with those of his peers motivated to actually fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

The two of them stood by Harry, willing to support him in whatever capacity he needed from them. He had done the same for them, helping them to realize their own worth and to surmount the perceptions others had of them.

Neville didn't know quite when Luna decided Harry needed more than friendship from the two of them. Well, that was a lie. He can pinpoint the moment when Luna and he realized that Harry was quietly falling apart and needed a relationship to remind him why he fought.

His best friends had moved onto other things, partly by choice and partly by necessity. When Ron had finally returned to Britain after the birth of Bill and Fleur's little girl, he tried to regain his position by Harry's side. Though reluctant and against the advice of the majority of the squad, Harry had allowed him to join the Marauders. It had been an unmitigated disaster; the youngest Weasley son had balked at the time they spent training but still felt that he should hold a position of leadership within the squad. Fortunately, Harry had refused him such a position, not that it made much of a difference since Ron had a problem listening to orders. The third time his actions directly led to injury of his other team members, Harry had put his foot down and with the backing of Remus and Bill, kicked the boy off the squad for good.

The senior Weasleys had not reacted well to Ron's banishment. Merlin! Molly had screamed and yelled and demanded that Ron be put right back on the team. Harry had refused and more than that, Bill had as well. Faced with that, she had taken to grumbling whenever in earshot. Of course, she had also made her displeasure known when Harry had refused to renew his relationship with Ginny. Why she had thought Harry would do so, Neville didn't know. Luna had claimed that Molly had a head full of Nargles; he found it as good an explanation as any.

Eventually, his feud with half the Weasley family had affected his friendship with Hermione. By then, Bill had died, killed during a raid at the Department of Mysteries; the twins had shifted solely to research so didn't go out on raids and therefore saw Harry very little. And if Hermione hadn't started dating Charlie Weasley, she likely would have remained with the Marauders, fitting in her research in between raids. Neville didn't know the details – no one did except for Harry and Hermione – but   
Hermione had left them to salvage her relationship with Charlie. She began to work full time with the research group, leaving Harry as the sole member of the Golden Trio to go out on missions, and while she still spoke to Harry, the closeness they had previously demonstrated had all but evaporated. Harry refused to say anything about it when questioned and simply pointed out that her removal to research was a better use of her strengths, something that had proven true as she and the rest of the research team all churned out new information and tweaked spells to counter all that the Death Eaters threw at them.

And perhaps if Harry had the ability to pick his bed partners more wisely or the time to invest in something more than physical relief, Luna would not have broached the subject of seducing Harry. Neville was not certain on that point.

What he was sure of was that Harry needed a stable relationship before he fell apart. The one night stands and temporary liaisons wouldn't and didn't instill in him a desire to do more than survive. So, in typical Luna fashion, she decided to do something about it.

Luna had simply gone up to Harry after a particularly tough mission and invited him to join her and Neville. After checking that Neville didn't object to the invitation, Harry had shrugged and agreed. From that night forward, Luna had installed the two of them in Harry's room. It had taken a while for Harry to realize this, but he eventually did. Further reassurances had convinced him this was something they both wanted and he had ceased fighting it.

Neville, for his part, enjoyed having Harry in their bed. He not only added another dimension to their relationship but he also strengthened it. He did not feel the all-encompassing love he had for Luna; rather, he was fond of Harry. Harry was his liege lord and he would do whatever he asked, give what he could to ease Harry's troubles. And in time, he and Luna became his indispensable aides.

_September 2002:_

"Can we talk?" Neville asked, startling Harry who had been answering a letter from Astrid. He looked up to find the other man standing awkwardly in front of his desk, looking both defensive and aggressive, a contrast that should look comical but merely reminded him of the Neville that had stood up to he, Hermione and Ron their first year, or the Neville that had been the only one besides him that remained standing at the Department of Mysteries fiasco in fifth year.

"Take a seat," Harry nodded.

"Why?" He didn't have to clarify what he was asking about; the household had fairly vibrated with the tension that had emerged after Luna and he had figured out that Harry was pulling back from them.

Sighing, Harry opened his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of scotch and a couple of tumblers. He poured a generous amount into each and pushed one towards his friend. They would need it.

"You know I'm not trying to hurt you or Luna," he began. Neville snorted in disbelief. "I'm really not. You two… you both kept me grounded, kept me from losing myself to the war."

"It would be easy to stay with you two. Easy to continue our arrangement, to tell myself it's only for a little longer, until we're comfortable living here with our new families. Easy for me to be selfish and keep you two from leaving me. I know, you see, why you and Luna first approached me. Or rather, why Luna did and you agreed."

"We love you," Neville insisted.

"I know. And I love you. But… Merlin, Neville! You and Luna've been together since your sixth year! Until you two came to me, we all assumed you'd marry or at least get engaged when you got tired of waiting for the war to end. You offered me something so precious and I can't keep standing in your way, not now, not when we have peace."

"But…" Neville began to protest.

"Look, if it hadn't been wartime, would you or Luna have even _thought_ about adding me to your relationship? You know you wouldn't have."

"How can you know that for certain?"

Harry gave a bitter bark of laughter and shook his head. "I've known you since first year, Nev and you've _never_ shown interest in guys before me. I don't know what your conversation with Luna went like before you approached me, but I do remember that you were hesitant our first few times."

"I wasn't forced," Neville asserted.

"I _know_ you weren't!" Harry exclaimed. "Do you think I wouldn't have sensed it if you were? If I had even thought for a second that you _or_ Luna weren't alright with what Luna had suggested or that the only reason for the offer was out of some misplaced sense of loyalty, I wouldn't have agreed."

"I never asked why you agreed to Luna's plan or even why she decided that offering the two of you as regular sexual partners was a good idea. I accepted because I need the physical grounding you provided and I cared for you. I still do."

"But you and Luna are a solid couple, Nev. You deserve to get married and have kids and have a shot at a normal life."

"What about you? Don't you deserve that too?" Neville questioned.

Harry gave a shrug, taking a sip from his tumbler. "One day, I hope to find someone to love me as much as you love Luna and she loves you. I'm content to wait until then."

"Why now?" Neville wanted to know, a plaintive note in his voice.

"Like I said, it would be so easy to wait. To hold onto you both with faint excuses," Harry shifted in his seat and met Neville's eyes head on. "I'm as comfortable as I can be in this new world, at least for the foreseeable future. You and Luna have reached the same type of understanding with your families that I have with the Potters. How can I justify keeping you with me?"

"So you're making the decision on your own, then?" Neville asked, full of defiance.

"Damn it! You're not listening!" Harry sounded and looked frustrated, enough so that Neville, if he had been standing, would have taken a step back. As it were, he tried not to show his fear. Harry was a very powerful wizard and his magic had started to rise to the surface, like it always did when he felt some strong emotion.

"If I didn't say anything, would you and Luna leave on your own? Answer me truthfully," he demanded.

Neville had to think about his answer, had to consider what he would have done if Harry hadn't pushed the point home. "Probably not," he finally conceded.

"There you are! We have a chance now to move on from the war, to really embrace life once again. I can't in good conscience keep you tied to me, not when you and Luna can have that family you've always dreamed about."

"Do you really feel that way?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Harry assured him. He had calmed down enough that his magic had settled back into his skin, the room no longer uncomfortable with the suffocating aura of his magic. Neville couldn't tell whether Harry really believe that or was just saying it to not worry him and Luna. She was so much better at reading Harry than he.

There wasn't much more that he could do, but to nod his head in understanding. "I'm not that happy with you making the decision without asking us," Neville informed Harry. "But… we're not going to force you to remain with us. If you feel it's time to go our separate ways, well. Not much we can do about that, is there?"

Harry gave a small shrug and a tight smile, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Not really, no."

"That's that, then." Neville needed to speak with Luna. He gulped down his scotch and stood. "Talk to you later." He left the study feeling like something had irrevocably changed.

And it had. He didn't love that Harry had made the decision on his own but at the same time, he felt grateful that the other man had done so. Harry was correct; he had never considered taking a male lover before Luna had come up with her plan. Their first few times together had been embarrassing and he hadn't particularly enjoyed himself. That had changed as time had passed, but he also knew that he and Luna would never invite another to join them once Harry left.

In that respect, Harry had been correct. He loved Luna and wanted to marry her. However, as long as they perceived Harry as needing them, it wouldn't happen. He might also have been correct in assuming that the easier tack to take in this new dimension was to stay together. Maybe Harry was doing them a favor by ending this now. Somehow, he suspected Luna had already figured out Harry's motivations for acting as he had. She had always understood the other man's motivations and emotions better than he had.

***

"We should find our own place to live," Luna announced to Neville as they cuddled each other after sex.

"Wha?" he stuttered in reply.

"Our own place," Luna patiently repeated.

"Oh," Neville said. "I guess since Harry…" He trailed off.

"Decided to end what we had? Yes, exactly," Luna nodded into Neville's chest with a small degree of satisfaction that he understand from where she was coming.

"Have you told him this yet?" Neville sounded both resigned and a bit scared. She didn't understand that. He had nothing to fear – Harry would never intentionally hurt them. She blithely ignored the prospect of being unintentionally injured.

"No. I rather thought we'd find a place first and then tell him."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Harry could have and should have handled his decision to end our relationship better. He should have talk to us about it instead of decided on his own that what we had was over," Luna explained, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "On the other hand, he was correct. We never had anything permanent with him and what he told you stands true: the longer we put off breaking it off, the harder it would be to ever end it."

She paused to collect her thoughts before continuing. "The war's over, Neville. We need to move forward. I think… I think Harry understands that and that's why he's pushed us out."

"Not out of his home though," Neville pointed out.

"No, but it's the same thing, isn't it? We could remain here and he wouldn't say a word. But, the longer we live with him, the harder it'll be to leave him and find our own place."

Neville sighed and she giggled as he shifted under her - her own personal earth tremor.

"You're probably right," he conceded. "We can start looking tomorrow."

"Thank you," she told him and placed a kiss on his chest. She didn't want to leave Harry and wasn't even sure if it was wise to do so. At least she had Neville and he her. Their third, on the other hand, would be alone. She worried that he would isolate himself and hide away from those who wanted to get to know him. She had to admit though, that he had made a concerted effort to befriend the Potters and their extended family, so perhaps her fear would never be realized.

It only made her feel a little better.

***

"How are things with you and Luna?" Alice asked Neville at dinner.

"Alright," Neville responded. He shifted in his chair and gave a weak smile. "We're looking for a new place."

"But… I could have sworn James was going to give the Summer Cottage to Harry," Frank protested.

"He uh… he did," Neville grimaced slightly. "We're um… we're not together with Harry anymore." He looked down at his place and seemed lost in his own thoughts.

"Oh." Neither Frank nor Alice really knew what to say to that. Frank made a series of facial gestures that Alice finally interpreted as 'find out more.' Fortunately, Neville seemed to ignore his antics.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

She got a shrug in response. "It was never a permanent thing," he eventually revealed. "He was right in one sense, that if we hadn't had the war, it would never have happened. And he's right that the longer we put it off, the easier it is to justify staying together."

"But… I'm confused," Alice admitted. She looked to Frank for support.

"Is that what _you_ want?" her husband asked.

"I…"Neville sighed. "Neither Luna nor I will force Harry to remain with us, not if he doesn't want to."

It wasn't precisely an answer that comforted Alice and Frank.

***

Later that night, Alice and Frank discussed their wayward son. "What do you make of it all?" Frank asked his wife. He casually sipped from his glass of port. Neville had left not long after dinner had ended.

"What? That he's no longer with Harry? Or that he wants to find a new place with Luna?" Alice asked, her own glass in hand.

"Both. Either," Frank frowned. "I don't know."

"Well, that's a big help," Alice stated. She sighed. "We don't know him very well, even if he's less formal than he used to be with us. And none of them have ever explained just how they became a triad. I'm not even sure they would have, if it hadn't been so obvious."

"True. None of them seem very big on the sharing of feelings," Frank reflected.

"Two are of the male persuasion," Alice teased. "That's almost enough. And Luna thinks in a way I barely comprehend. I'm sure the war had something to do with that as well. I'm surprised he seems to trust us as much as he does. Lily was commenting the other day on how much they have to work to not scare Harry away from them. They're terrified he'll decide to up and leave Britain and refuse to allow them into his life."

"Do you think that's why Neville refused to allow us to help him find a place?" Frank asked, a plaintive note in his voice. "Do you think they're planning on traveling?"

"I don't know," Alice replied. "I hope that they have had enough with traipsing all over the world, but..."

And that was the rub. They didn't know Neville or Luna well enough to predict whether they would decide to travel or if Neville had refused their help in obtaining a new residence out of misplaced pride.

It was all very vexing.

***

"Neville and I found a nice place," Luna informed Harry. "About fifty kilometers from here."

"Oh?" he inquired as he looked up from the book he was reading. His green eyes yielded no clue as to whatever emotions he may have felt. She hated that about him, as much as she could hate anything about him.

"Yes," she said, willing him to show some emotion other than calm acceptance. Except, she knew he wouldn't. He had set them on this course and he could not be moved from it, not when he felt it was for the best. She sighed.

"It's a small cottage, like this but not as big. Has a lovely garden that Neville is already itching to rejuvenate. Room for at least two greenhouses. And woods, of course. We saw evidence of some magical creatures inhabiting them."

"I'm happy you found a home well-suited to you both," Harry told her, sounding and looking genuinely pleased.

He probably was.

She tapped her spoon against her saucer, her blue-grey eyes boring into his. He met her gaze without fear, but then he feared very little.

"You're set on this, then?" She needed to know, needed confirmation that he did not regret what he had begun.

He gave her a smile. It was a little strained, but then so were they. "It is for the best."

Luna didn't necessarily disagree with him but it didn't make her happy to have to yield to it.

***

Soleil Lovegood, née Pritchard, considered her new situation. As a young witch, she has always assumed she would marry a wonderful man who respected her intelligence and need for a fulfilling career and that she would have a couple of perfect children to whom she could impart all the little lessons she had learned in life.

Death Eaters and the war had changed that vision. Oh, she had still married a man who adored her and did not mind if she pursued her own career. And she loved her work as an Unspeakable, not the least because it allowed her to practice spell creation as much as she wanted. The Death Eaters had taken from her the ability to have children. The news had devastated her at first, but Xeno had supported her throughout the ordeal and she had eventually come to grips with the abrupt turn her life had taken.

They had considered adopting a child since the war had left many orphaned, but by the time they had recovered from the knowledge that they would never have a child that came from them, they had also grown used to their childless life. Somehow, it never became a priority in their lives and instead, they focused on their careers.

Xeno liked to travel, finding evidence of new stories for his paper. Sometimes, she went with him, but more often than not, she remained at the home, working on a new spell or deconstruction of an old one for the Department of Mysteries. A child had never seemed to fit into their lifestyle and they had long since ceased pretending one would.

Now, of course, they had a child. A grown child that alternate versions of them had raised and who had seen and survived a war they couldn't fathom. And Soleil didn't know if she wanted to know this child that was hers but not hers.

"Will you be attending dinner with me and Luna?" Xeno asked with a voice blank from any judgment. She still felt uncomfortable.

"I don't think so," she finally said. He sighed in response.

"You seem to be avoiding her," he commented. "Do you not want to know her?"

"I'm not her mother!" Soleil protested. She scrubbed a hand across her eyes and sighed. "She looks at me with those blue eyes of her and it's like she wants me to be more than I am. I'm not a mother, Xeno. I don't know how to be one and I don't want to live up to her expectations."

"She doesn't expect you to," Xeno countered quietly. "She just wants to know _us_"

"Right," Soleil laughed bitterly. "Like she doesn't want us to replace her own parents?"

Xeno was already shaking his head in denial. "No, she does not. She's been very careful to tell me that."

"She might say that – and Merlin! She might even _believe_ it, but how can she not? She and her friends have arrived here and they're building new lives. If they have versions of their parents alive, of course they will want to place us in that position."

"That's precisely it though, Soleil," Xeno interjected. "They're trying to build new lives! They aren't trying to hold onto their old ones. Luna just wants to know us."

"I don't know if I can do that more than I have," Soleil finally said. She slumped in her seat, knowing that she had disappointed her husband but also knowing that she couldn't change how she felt.

He paused and examined her like he would one of his mysterious creatures. She squirmed under his gaze but said nothing, letting him see what he could from her.

"I'm not going to force you to socialize with her," he finally said. "I do ask though, that you attend any family social events – as my partner, if nothing else."

She slowly nodded. Not ideal, but she couldn't really object to his condition. She was his wife and they had both accepted Luna as a member of their family initially. She couldn't backtrack, not now.

"I will make your excuses to Luna," Xeno continued. Before heading out, he kissed her on the cheek. She wished she didn't feel his disappointment.

***

Their last morning at the Summer Cottage dawned with a shining sun and nary a cloud in the sky. Harry cooked breakfast and they made desultory conversation as they lingered over the meal.

"We don't have to do this," Neville tried one last time.

Harry gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Sure we do, Nev," he disagreed.

"Nothing says we have to," Neville insisted.

"Just as nothing says we shouldn't," Harry countered. "We need to get on with our lives and move past the war," he continued. "Staying with me will only give us a sense of comfort and familiarity. You and Luna need a chance to remember what it was like with just the two of you."

"And you?" Luna interjected. She tilted her head and stared at him with her knowing eyes. "Will you remain hidden here, determined to stay by yourself?"

"I'm going to remember…" He paused and shook his head. "No I'm going to _discover_ just who Harry James Potter is, without a prophecy or ridiculous titles appended to me."

Not much that they could protest against about that. Exchanging a look between each other, they conceded the battle, knowing that their last effort to change his mind had failed.

"You'll let us know if you need us, right?" Neville asked.

"Of course. I imagine we'll see each other more than you think and miss each other much less than you believe you will too."

It sounded like wishful thinking, but perhaps it would prove true.

"What do you plan to do?" Neville asked.

"Since Lily and James gave me this house, I think I'll decorate it and settle in. Figure out what I want to do. You know – what we would have done with our lives if the war hadn't interfered," Harry answered.

At last, they couldn't put off their leaving. With packed trunks shrunk, Neville and Luna met Harry in the foyer.

"This is it," Neville said.

"Don't let the Nargles infest you. Remember to feed the flutterbies," Luna told him.

"I will," Harry assured her.

He hesitated for a brief moment before pulling her into his embrace. He gave her a slow, perfect, and heartbreaking in its finality, kiss. "I'll always be here for you," he whispered into her ear. She blinked back tears as he released her.

Harry did the same to Neville, but unlike Luna, he wasn't content with a tame goodbye and fought to leave his mark on Harry's sense.

"Goodbye," Neville said, giving Harry a tight smile after he released the former third of their relationship. Harry blinked at him from dazed green eyes.

"Bye, Nev, Luna," Harry smiled raising his hand to wave them off as the two grabbed onto the portkey that was to take them away. Without another word, they activated it and left him alone.

***

The house echoed emptily without Luna and Neville. Harry found himself opening his mouth to share an observation with them throughout the day, only to remember they no longer lived here with him.

He knew he had made the right decision. It probably should have been made earlier. Not that his certainty made it any easier to deal with his present situation.

For the first time in his life, he lived alone. No burdens or calls for his attention. Just him and his mind and what he wanted to do: it was a heady feeling, but also scary.

Perhaps he should get a kneazle or crup to alleviate the sense of solitude, he mused as he wandered through his house. Or, maybe such decisions should wait until he figured out what he wanted to do with his life first.

As he crawled into bed that night, he suppressed the ache of loneliness he felt. He knew he had made the right decision. They deserved to move on with their lives and he? Well he should really do as he had told them he would: figure out just who he was and what he wanted.

***

"What do you think of Harry, Reggie?" Sirius asked.

"Don't call me Reggie," he responded. Something his brother would ignore, just as he had every time he had made his request.

"Whatever. Seriously, what do you think of him?" Sirius leaned back in his chair. Regulus wondered just how far he would go before falling on his ass.

"He's all right, I suppose," he finally conceded. "I don't know him very well. Why?" He found it curious and surprising that his brother would ask. Usually, Sirius made up his mind about people in a very short period of time. More than that, he had been predisposed to liking Harry simply because he was his godson in a very convoluted sense.

"Hmm…" Sirius hummed, an annoying habit from which their mother had never broken him.

"Croaker wants to recruit him."

"Not surprising really. He has shown an aptitude for magic not many have," Regulus said.

"I know."

"What does Lily think?" He assumed Croaker had at least mentioned the possibility of bringing Harry into the Unspeakables considering she worked here and was sort of Harry's mother.

"Don't know. She and Prongs have kept pretty tight mouthed about Harry and his future," Sirius confessed. "Think they're worried he might decide to scarper."

"He seems to be making an effort to get to know them," Regulus pointed out. "I'm certainly invited to enough dinners with him."

"And I'm sure it's such a hardship – dinner that you don't have to cook and socializing with family," Sirius shot back.

"Your family maybe," Regulus muttered under his breath, though still loud enough that Sirius heard. The harsh slap of the chair falling to the floor startled him, as did the sudden embrace.

"Your family too, Regulus Black," Sirius insisted, voice tight with emotion. "Never doubt that. I never stopped loving you – even when you were a Death Eater. Wanted to shake you for being such an idiot, but I never hated you."

It didn't explain why the Potters seemed to consider him family, at least no in Regulus' mind. He stood stiffly in his brother's embrace for several minutes before realizing the git had no intention of releasing him until he returned the hug. Slowly, Regulus did, putting his arms around him and letting his head rest against Sirius'.

"Lily and James trust and love you too, you know. Why else do you think they made you Astrid's godfather? They may have given you a chance because of me, but they grew to like you enough on their own," Sirius assured him.

At least he had a partial answer to his question.

"Thanks, Siri," Regulus finally said, not really knowing what else to do. It seemed enough since Sirius released him.

"So, Harry," Regulus began in a thinly disguised attempt to move past this uncomfortable moment. "Croaker really wants him to work here, then?"

Sirius shot him a smug smile that screamed he knew exactly what Regulus was trying to do, but did him the courtesy of not bringing it up. "Yep. He got a hold of the kids' Mastery scores and was more than a little impressed."

"What did he end up taking?" Harry had said he planned to take any number of subjects but surely he had overestimated his abilities.

"Let's see," Sirius thought out loud. "Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions and Warding."

"Five? He took and passed five Mastery exams?! I thought he said he was only planning to take three," Regulus was astounded. It was rare for a witch or wizard to possess the knowledge and talent in more than one subject to pass the Mastery exams in both.

"Don't know why he changed his mind, but he definitely took five," Sirius confirmed, looking a mix of smug and proud and worried. "Set records, he and his friends did."

"They take as many as him?"

"No. Neville and Luna took Defense and Charms. And," Sirius paused to shake his head in disbelief, "they've each scheduled written Mastery exams for History of Magic and Runes, while Luna's taking Arithmancy and Magical Creatures and Neville's taking Herbology."

"Seriously?" Regulus had to ask. "Are they prodigies? Or that convinced they'll pass?"

Sirius shrugged in response. "I don't know for certain, of course, but I imagine they had to learn what they could to survive. The Mastery Chambers won't let you inside if you're not ready for it. And none of them had a problem with gaining entrance to their exams."

"Huh." It puzzled Regulus. "Why take so many? Why not just one or two? Are they trying to make a statement of some sort?"

His question surprised Sirius, if the shocked look on his face was anything to go by.

"What do you mean?"

"Gryffindor," Regulus sighed. For such a smart and talented man, his brother tended to overlook the more Slytherin-esque qualities of people's actions. "What do we know about the three?" Regulus lectured, counting off points with his fingers. "We know that they were involved in a war. That said war lasted for seven years. That they were in the thick of things. And that Magic brought them here."

"They don't like giving us details of their past. They've mentioned they know obscure and ancient magicks, but not which ones. Unless pushed, they evade personal questions. Given their past behavior, I can only conclude that they are showing us their qualifications for a specific reason," he continued.

"Maybe they want options?" Sirius made the rather weak suggestion.

Regulus just gave him a look, complete with eyebrow raised. He watched with private amusement as his brother deflated in front of him.

"No, I suppose not," he conceded. "What do you think?"

"It seems to me that we have three people to whom war is the natural state of affairs. They have arrived in a world where peace exists and I imagine that is what they want. Taking and passing the Mastery exams in as many subject as they have, serves as a warning to anyone who might wish to provoke theme. Proof positive that they are not to be messed with."

"Or," Sirius countered with a wry grin, "taking so many Mastery exams is not abnormal where they are from."

"Mayhap," Regulus nodded. "Of course, it doesn't disguise the truth – they are extremely knowledgeable in more than one field and anyone who goes up against them will regret it."

Sirius could not dispute that.

"I take it that's why Croaker wants to recruit at least one of them?" Regulus asked. His brother nodded in response.

"Do you really think one of them will go for it? They don't seem likely to."

"Croaker still wants to try," Sirius explained.

If they wasted time, at least it was at their boss's behest. And a part of Regulus couldn't deny the desire to spend more time with Harry and get to know him better. The younger man intrigued him in a way that few others ever had.

***

The announcement should not have come as a surprise, yet it did. "Huh," Frank began, sounding rather unintelligent, but catching the attention of Alice.

"What is it? Is Nigel all right?" she asked. He held a parchment in his hands, looking at it as if it were a dangerous snake.

"I assume so," Frank absently answered. "It's not from Nigel."

"Then who is it from?" She looked at him in bewilderment.

"It's from Neville and Luna."

She frowned in continued confused as Frank persisted in staring at the parchment without explaining his astonishment.

"Frank?" she persisted.

"Oh, right," he finally said. "They're getting married. It's an invitation to their engagement party."

Alice blinked. Frank gave her a rueful half-smile.

"That's good, right?" she trailed off, feeling a bit uncertain.

"I guess…" Frank answered. "Neville did say that Harry had encouraged them to return to a normal life."

"So you don't think this is too fast?"

"I have no idea. We know they've been together since his sixth year. How many people in our class got married right after Hogwarts?" Frank shrugged.

"Nearly everyone. Or at least a high proportion of them," Alice conceded. "Still, it seems a bit quick, doesn't it?"

"Maybe they're trying to prove a point," he suggested.

"Some point," Alice snorted. "What if all this does, is anger Harry?"

"I'm going to assume they know what they're doing." He didn't really have an answer beyond that. They still did not know enough about Neville or Luna or even Harry, who of the three seemed to have made a concerted effort to get to know his family, to truly know for certain. Granted, Harry had only started to include the Potters in his life in the last few weeks – ever since they took their Mastery exams - but it was still more than Neville had done for them.

He tried not to feel jealous.

"Someone should tell the Potters," Alice suddenly said.

"Someone? Or me?" Frank asked.

"Why you, of course," Alice replied, giving him a cheeky grin. "No way am I telling Lily or James about this."

"Thanks, honey. Love you too," Frank growled before conceding. "You owe me."

"I'll make it up to you," Alice promised with a wicked grin, one Frank knew promised some quality time for just the two of them.

Of course, that only partially made up for what he had to do.

***

Frank wanted to warn Lily and James before they received the invitation. Fortunately, Neville and Luna had not sent them out yet, only telling their families of the upcoming engagement. It meant he had at least a day, perhaps more, in which to tell his friends of the news.

Normally, it would not be an issue. Given that the three had arrived as an established triad, however, and now said triad had lost one of its member and become a couple, he thought it only courteous to apprise his friends of the situation. In case Harry needed their support or something like that.

"What brings you here, Frank?" Lily asked. "Not that you're not welcome."

"I, um…" he stammered. He didn't really know how to tell them, his silver tongue, which aided him to such an extent in the Ministry, curiously missing. "So, have you spoken to Harry recently?" Maybe he had told them so he wouldn't have to.

"Not since last week," James cautiously responded. "Why?"

Great. A week ago, Neville and Luna had still called the Potter Summer Cottage their home. Not the case now.

"Did he… happen to mention Neville and Luna?" Frank fished.

"Frank?" Lily questioned. "Just what are you trying to ask us?"

He sighed in response. "Neville, he uh… he wrote us with some interesting news this morning."

"And?" James urged, his voice full of impatience as he bounced his leg while waiting for Frank to finish speaking.

"Well, he and Luna plan to get married. They've, uh… I don't know if Harry told you two, but apparently they um… broke up. Amicably really and Harry's idea, according to Neville, but the upshot is that they're no longer a triad."

"Harry's idea?" Lily latched onto that comment with a skeptical eye.

"I don't know what happened, Lils," Frank placated her. "Neville came over last week, all upset because of it. Said he and Luna were looking for a new place to live, since Harry had decided they were over. Something about how they needed to return to or regain normal lives and that in the ordinary course of things, they would never have formed a triad."

"But…" James protested. Frank could see how he tried to wrap his mind around that, especially given how _together_ and comfortable the three had seemed with one another.

"Look, Neville wouldn't tell me a lot, but what he did reveal seemed to suggest that while Harry initiated the dissolution of the triad, it wasn't something that had never occurred to either he or Luna. He all but admitted that their relationship came about because of the war. And he suggested that it was probably for the best, since it forces them to move on from it," Frank tried to explain, summarizing all that Neville had told him last week.

"I…" James and Lily traded looks with each other and Frank was hard pressed to actually decipher them. James sighed in defeat.

"It just… it _seemed_ like Harry had started to trust us. He was telling us things and not constantly hiding behind that reserve of his."

"I'm sorry," Frank apologized, not really knowing why he was but feeling as if he should.

"No, no," Lilly assured him with a pained smile. "Thank you. You didn't need to warn us."

Frank didn't tell them that he hadn't precisely wanted to break the news to them, that Alice had forced him. He decided the better part of valor was to remain silent – a skill and decision that had proven time and again to great success with his position in the Ministry.

***

It hadn't taken much to convince James to contact the rest of the adults in their small family to discuss the news Frank had brought to them. Remus promised to arrive after the evening meal since his duties at Hogwarts did not oblige him to remain there that night. Sirius, Regulus and Nymphadora agreed to attend as well, which was a relief to the couple, as they needed as much advice as possible on how to deal with the latest news regarding their almost-son.

"Do you think we'll have such meeting about the girls?" James mused as they waited for the others to arrive that night.

"We didn't with Nymphadora and unless they are somehow from another dimension like Harry is, I don't expect we will," Lily tartly reminded him.

"True," James agreed. "Still, it seems quite odd that we can't just speak with him about his life and that we must first decide upon a plan of action on how best to approach him. He is our son, after all – yes, yes, I know that he scarcely considers himself such but I do, for all that he is not truly ours. We should consider ourselves lucky, I suppose, that he even consents to be accept us as any part of his family instead of hiding away in that house, doing nothing all day but what? Learning about this world, I warrant."

"Oh James," Lily sighed. "We cannot push him. He will not simply decide to embrace us or accept us as his family until he is comfortable here. In some ways, I think we are lucky. We did not know how our son would grow up – an inkling of his promise, certainly, but he had nothing to live up to."

"Our counterparts died for him and he must feel it is a betrayal to simply accept us as his own. Or did you forget how we felt on July thirty-first?"

"Of course not, Lils," James protested, feeling as if she had punched him in the gut. "I do not mistake _this_ Harry for our own. Did I not mourn with you on his birthday? Did I not wonder whether our Harry - our sweet little baby boy – would in any way resemble this stranger who has arrived and answered our dreams? Or would he have held Althea's scholarly demeanor or Astrid's fun-loving nature?"

"I know, James, I know," Lily soothed. "It is a detestable situation, to have the papers and friends alike celebrate the return of our child when he is not truly ours, for all that he shares our blood and looks like us. It is an easy situation in which to get caught up and yet, I would not change it. I would rather have this stranger who holds us at arm's length than no son at all."

Any further discussion and debate had to wait, as the floo flared green and their first guest arrived. Training as an Auror had not granted Nymphadora any learned grace, as her natural talent had none. She didn't as much as step out of the floo so much as trip. While she had the courtesy to refrain from cursing, her hair cycled through a multitude of colors, a sure sign of her displeasure.

"Uncle James, Aunt Lily," she finally said as she recovered her balance.

"Dora," James greeted with a grin. "I see you are as talented as ever." The grin he received in turn was only due to his use of her nickname rather than the horrendous appellation bestowed upon her by her parents. Not that she particularly cared to think of her mother – for whom she rightly blamed for the abhorred moniker. She did not understand why her father had not protested but then, Andromeda Black had fooled many a person and he had been clever enough, in the end, to save her.

"I'm happy you could join us," Lily interjected before the two could become involved in a battle of words, as they were wont to do.

"Didn't want to miss it," Dora admitted. "I haven't spent a lot of time with Harry, but he's family, just as you are. Family above all," she finished, quoting the motto the Potter-Black-Lupin households had adopted during the war and had made famous in the aftermath.

Neither James nor Lily could object to her reasoning and they instead turned the conversation to more lighthearted topics. It did not take much longer, however, for the remaining three to arrive and the Potters invited their family – not by blood, of course, but of the heart – to join them in the den.

"Frank stopped by with some interesting information," James began. "He told us that Harry had apparently broken things off with Neville and Luna, who have since moved out of the Summer Cottage, and are now engaged."

"Wait, what?" Sirius asked. "But… why?"

"Why did Frank tell us? Or why did Harry act as he did?" Lily questioned.

"Either. Both," Dora answered.

Though posed to Lily and James, Remus provided at least a partial answer. "I imagine," he posited, "that Frank wanted to let you know before you received the announcement, in case Harry needs our support in the direct aftermath."

"Those were my thoughts," Lily agreed. "He seemed quite nervous at having to tell us."

"The question then remains as to why Harry ended his relationship with his friends," Regulus pointed out. "Did Frank say anything?"

James and Lily exchanged a glance before looking to their nearest and dearest. "He claimed that Neville told him about it last week. That Harry had decided the best way to move on from their war and to regain a normal life, was for the three of them to cease their relationship," Lily explained.

Silence descended on the room. "We don't really know much about his relationship with Neville and Luna," James pointed out at last. "They arrived together and while Harry was clearly their leader and they had clearly followed him here and not the other way around, we still have no idea how they became a triad."

"We need to ask Harry," Sirius concluded.

"Because he answers personal questions so well!" James pointed out, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I know, Prongs. Believe me, I get what you're sayings. But hear me out," Sirius tried to placate his best friend. He paused and then looked panicked. "Wait. Hear _Moony_ out."

"Gee, thanks love," Remus answered, a small smile on his face. He slapped Sirius upside the head as the others laughed. "I don't always know the answers."

"Yes you do," Sirius insisted.

"Not really, but in this case I think I do," Remus replied. He took a deep breath before continuing, counting each point off with a finger. "One, Harry has ended his sexual relationship with Neville and Luna. Point two, this apparently occurred over a week ago, yet Harry has not informed us of this. Three, Neville and Luna have decided to get married, a situation that Harry may or may not know about. And four, we have no idea whether he'll need comforting or not."

"Succinct as always," James admired.

"Actually…" Dora interrupted. "I have a suggestion."

"We're all ears, Dora. Don't keep us waiting," Sirius urged. Regulus rolled his eyes at his brother's famed impatience.

"From what little Harry's told us, I don't think he's ever had a mother figure. Sending Lily or me wouldn't work. But…"

"Yes, yes?!" Sirius and James bounced with impatience.

Dora gave them a queer look before focusing on the other three, who seemed far saner than their friends. "Harry turns to Sirius and Remus when he wants approval. Have you noticed that? Whenever he's about to tell us something about his past, when he's uncertain about how we'll react, he watches everyone carefully – but he _always_ looks to Sirius and Remus first."

"You think we should send Sirius and Remus then?" Lily asked.

"Not just them. Uncle James and Uncle Regulus should go with them," Dora confidently said. "Sorry, Aunt Lily. I know you want to help but I don't think he's used to having a woman to confide in. Let him talk to the others before trying."

"Why me?" Regulus wanted to know.

"Come now, Regulus!" James answered. "I've even noticed how Harry stares at you when we can convince you to join us. He seems fascinated by you!" He noticed with amusement that Regulus began to blush. The youngest Black brother hated the attention given to him as the most well known defector from Voldemort. He didn't seem to realize that at least some of the attention given to him had nothing to do with his youthful exploits, but rather, his appearance. Regulus had the same classic Black looks that his brother sported and James could well remember the outrage and mourning that Sirius' attachment to Remus had engendered. It didn't help that Regulus studiously avoided the public eye, using his position as an Unspeakable to remain hidden. It combined to make him a very attractive prospect and Regulus had never learned how to deal with it.

"It's true," Remus confirmed and James could see Regulus sighing in resignation. He would be offended that he heeded Remus' word over James' but Remus did have the reputation for providing the truth, rather than taking the mickey out of someone as he and Sirius were wont to do.

"Should we just show up then? Or warn him?" Remus continued, bringing their attention back to the reason for their gathering.

"I hesitate to say this, but I think we should just show up," James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We could very well destroy our relationship with him by doing so, but…" he trailed off, trying to figure out how to express in words what he felt. "We've not pushed - consciously, at least. Content to let him dictate what type of relationship he wanted with us. How could we, when we weren't even sure what we wanted? Yes, he's a son of the Potter's but he's not our Harry. Our Harry died in 1981."

"Except, the more we get to know him, the more I admire him. He's survived so much and at his age! I don't think we could have done nearly as well as he. Not that he tells us very much. Lily and I try to assure him that he has family in us and I think he accepts it, but he still doesn't look to us. Dora's right – he's not used to having adults care for him and wanting to offer their aid. Merlin! I don't think he's used to people believing in him."

"He's a Potter, no matter how he came to be here. He's family and family comes first for us. He needs to learn to believe in that. Then maybe he'll stop holding us at arm's length."

"You think just popping over there will help?" Sirius asked.

"Don't know," James shrugged. "It will either work or he'll pull back from us even more. But I don't know how else to show that we care."

"I think James and Dora are right," Lily piped up. "I wish Harry was more accepting of me, but I can wait until he is. And maybe Frank was right. Maybe Harry wants to live a normal life and this is how he sees going about it."

"And James is right when he says that Harry's not our son, but he is a Potter and he is family. Frank has given us the possibility to demonstrate that to him and we must take advantage, even if it fails."

And to that no one had any true objection. They agreed to reconvene in the morning before heading over to the Summer Cottage to confront and support Harry during what they could only assume, had to be a difficult time.

***

Harry, having no inkling of this plot, continued to renovate the cottage to his specifications, which is to say, he had finally begun to unpack all of his belongings from where they had sat, packed and stored – the majority of said items for years – within the shrunken trunks he had carried on his person at all times. Potter and Black heirlooms were carefully levitated out and tastefully placed in the already lavish home.

It felt wonderfully liberating to decorate as he wanted, never having had a home or really any space to call truly his own. In the majority of the rooms, he simply added one or two heirloom pieces that he felt deserved to do more than grace a deserted bank vault visited on rare occasion.

Three rooms received special attention, however: his bedroom, the study and the library.

As the most private of all the rooms in his home, the bedroom now held all mementos of such personal and private significance as to be only admired by those with whom he chose to share, an occurrence he did not foresee as taking place any time soon.

For the library, he chose to emulate a design Hermione had once waxed poetic about one night as they camped. He had had to expand the library greatly to do this, but magic was surely a wonderful thing! He accomplished the room's new design within a day, not even having to resort to asking Neville and Luna for help. Floor to ceiling bookcases surrounded all sides of the room but one. That one had windows of a like fashion from which the sun could stream through most pleasingly during the day. A skylight centered in the ceiling cast a favorable design upon the now plush carpeting. Oaken ladders attached to riders that ran the length of the room, allowed one to browse the books shelved at a level too high to reach. The books themselves were categorized by subject and separated according to which reality they came from.

The open room played host to solid desks and chairs well suited for long hours of research. He had also stationed comfortable and cushioning armchairs, the better to curl up into while reading for pleasure, throughout the room. The pièce de résistance, of course, was the catalogue he had enchanted to list each and every book – regardless of origin – he owned and perhaps more importantly, to cause any requested book to glow for ease of locating.

It was a room suited for both reading and research and he believed he could spend many an hour sequestered within it in pursuit of further knowledge, were it not for his study.

If the war had proven little else, it had shown that Harry liked his own space. Unfortunately, such a desire was at a premium, especially once Voldemort had destroyed Hogwarts. As one of the commanders, he had had at the least, a small partitioned area if he shared with others, or his own tent that doubled as the strategic center. And even then, he had started sharing his space with Luna and Neville even before they had become a triad.

He transformed the study into the type of room he had wanted during the war. A solid oak desk held center stage with a chair designed for maximum comfort. A fireplace dominated one side of the room; above the mantle, he displayed the weaponry of the Hogwarts' founders: Gryffindor's sword that he had used to slay the basilisk his second year, whose blade still remained deadly and thus wore a protective sheath; Slytherin's sword, which he had used to taunt Voldemort with his possession of it to great success; a set of throwing daggers also having belonged to that same sly and cunning founder; a staff of rowan wood said to have belong to Helga Hufflepuff (and considering he had found it in her vault, he was rather assured of its provenance); and Rowena's shield.

Recessed shelves held particular treasures Harry did not mind answering questions about but that he also did not want to languish in one of the many rooms in this house. Two sets of wooden cabinets held his current research papers – all written and collaborated with during the war. Now that he had a life of peace, he rather thought it would be nice and relaxing to go through the spells and theories they had invented, encountered or otherwise and never had the time to explore in detail.

In all, Harry found himself quite contented with his new home. It had taken a shorter period of time for him to unpack than he had assumed, so he now found himself at loose ends.

It was in these circumstances that the owl found him. He recognized it as the one Luna had purchased on one of their trips to Diagon Alley. Opening the letter he received, he couldn't help but feel hurt by the news.

He had known, of course, that Luna and Neville might very well marry once he had released them from the relationship in which they had found themselves. He had just not expected it to occur within the week. The paper fluttered out of his hand and onto the desk, the owl ignored as he tried to figure out just what exactly he felt.

Hurt – oh yes!; a bit betrayed; jealous that they had each other when he had no one; relief… relief that they had ceased looking to him for his opinion before making their decisions.

"Perhaps this is a good thing," he whispered. "Perhaps… this is what we need - the first step to normal lives."

Could he really begrudge them this? When he knew that only his presence and need had prevented them from marrying earlier? No… no he couldn't.

As much as they had given him, he could not hold this against them. They deserved this, deserved happiness and an affirmation of their love and devotion to each other.

And it was with that thought in mind that he forced himself to pen a congratulatory note to them. He could do nothing less.

***

"Are you alright, Albus?" Minerva asked with some concern. He had seemed worried the last few days, preoccupied by something that he refused to share. "Filius and I are quite concerned that you are not acting like yourself."

He sighed in reply. "I am uncertain, Minerva, Filius," he finally admitted. "Minister McKinnon relayed to me some information that I do not really know what to think of."

"Whatever could she have told you, to make you so distracted?" Filius inquired.

"She merely informed me of the results of the Mastery exams our three travelers took."

"Why is that a concern?" Minerva wanted to know. "It's a good sign that they did, is it not? A signal that they're settling in here."

"It is not that they took the exams that have me worried," Albus finally admitted. "It is how _many_ exams they took that does."

Minerva and Filius exchanged confused glances. "Whatever do you mean? Did they take two Mastery exams?" Filius pushed.

"If only," Albus replied. Steepling his fingers before him, he paused in consideration of what to say. "As you know, while rare, taking two Mastery exams is an extraordinary feat and not unheard of, especially when they are complimentary fields. Our three travelers took three Mastery exams in the chamber – except for Mr. Potter, who took five and each has signed up to take several written tests as well."

"Surely you are joking," Minerva gaped, hand to throat. Were it not such a serious situation, Albus would laugh and Filius hid his own smile.

"I am afraid not. And thus my quandary – why take so many exams?"

"Perhaps it is normal in their reality," Filius ventured. "If they were not qualified, the mastery chamber would not have accepted their petitions or passed them."

"True and that is a small comfort," Albus conceded. "Yet, I cannot help but feel they are proving a point."

"Why do you ascribe such motives to them?" Minerva queried. "You have been quite uncomfortable about them since they left Hogwarts."

"I suppose I have," Albus confessed. His gaze got a far away look as he considered his own behavior. "I suppose I am worried. We do not truly know them for all that they gave us an abbreviated history of their world. They are quite powerful and could cause a great deal of trouble should they choose to do so."

"Have they given any indication that they plan to?" Filius asked.

"They have not, but…" Albus began.

"Albus, you cannot borrow trouble before it begins. Yes, they are powerful, but they aren't another Tom Riddle," Minerva gently pointed out, feeling – correctly – that some of his concerns resulted from his failure in stopping the man who became Voldemort when he could have.

"How do we know that?" Albus asked.

"Hogwarts liked them. They strengthened the wards when they did not have to. They've made attempts to know their families in this reality," Minerva pointed out. "Riddle, as you very well know, held a great deal of contempt for family bonds."

"Still," Albus protested, "we know next to nothing about them. How can we trust them when we know nothing about them?"

Filius stood from his seat and raised an eyebrow. Though limited in height, his prowess as a Dueling champion and Charms Master lent him a strength he might otherwise not have. "What bothers you more, Albus? That they don't trust you? Or that you can't control them? If you continue to act like this you will not garner a civil relationship with them. They will become adversaries rather than allies."

"Work on gaining their trust and perhaps you will not create future problems for the Wizarding world. Or do you think that the Potters and Longbottoms and Blacks and Lupin or even the Lovegoods will not act if you work to ostracize their children?"

A glance at Minerva showed that she felt the same as the Charm's professor. "Albus, they are not from here but it doesn't mean they are evil or seeking to revolutionize our world. Let it rest," she urged her mentor.

Silence echoed in his office after their impassioned pleas. They held their breath while Albus considered their words. Would he listen? Or would he continue to fret and cause a potential schism? They both knew that as powerful as Albus Dumbledore was – the Greatest Wizard of the Century – the younger generation had enough respect among their peers in the Wizengamot and Ministry that any fracture between them would have serious implications in their world.

It was not something they wanted to see.

"I will consider your words," he finally conceded and they breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't perfect, but it was something.

***

While Lily and Dora had insisted that all four men confront – comfort rather – Harry, James had put his foot down on arriving bright and early in the morning. "He's already likely to be defensive, Lils," he insisted. "We don't need to give him another reason to throw us out."

"Do you really think he'll do that?" Lily asked, biting her lip in consternation. "I… I don't want you getting hurt."

"That's why Pads is going first," he joked. He took her into his arms and gave her a hug. Her head fit just under his chin and he swayed lightly as they just breathed in. "I don't think he didn't tell us about Neville and Luna because he's thinking of taking a runner," he soothed. "You know how skittish he is with us, even if he's been getting more comfortable with us lately. He'll listen to us and maybe he'll even tell us what's going on inside his head."

"I just… he's still so _wary_ of us. I constantly worry that he's going to hex first rather than listen to our explanations. And he's not invited us to the Summer House since that first brunch."

"No, he hasn't but I don't think he's used to people waiting for invitations from him. Astrid wrote me and mentioned he writes to her and Althea. So he _is_ trying."

"Just be careful, James. I don't want you getting hurt because you surprise him."

"I promise, my Lily-flower. We won't push him if he doesn't want to speak about it."

"Alright," she conceded. Now that the others had left, all the worries she had came crashing down. They still didn't know so much about Harry and even if he had appeared friendlier and less wand-happy in recent meals, he still kept silent on so many things that she practically celebrated each time he revealed another nugget of personal information about himself.

"What time are you planning on arriving?" she asked as she pulled away from her husband.

"Moony's allowed to leave Hogwarts after lunch, so we'll go then."

She nodded again. "Keep me updated, if you can," she ordered.

"Of course I shall," James replied. "I am ever my lady's most humble servant." Her lips twitched with amusement as he then proceeded to dance her around the room to a tune only he heard. She loved James; even though he was as nervous as she about the next day's activities, he did everything he could to keep her from obsessing about what she couldn't change or control. She could stop his silly antics but allowed him to continue, knowing he needed the distraction as much as she did. Everything had to turn out all right tomorrow. She just had to believe it would.

***

If Harry was surprised to see the group of four men at his door the next day, he didn't let it show. Not even a twitch of his eye. And if he felt any anger or hurt or even knowledge of his former lovers' engagement to each other, it certainly didn't show. Regulus admired his control even as he questioned just how he had gotten dragged into this.

Letting his eyes rake down the form of his host – though discretely since he wasn't a Hufflepuff – he couldn't help but admire James' son from another reality. He had, of course, noticed how attractive the young man was in the past. It was hard not to: Harry had inherited James' looks and Lily's deceptive delicacy. Combined with the stunning green of her eyes and the inherent strength and grace that had to have come from fighting a war, he made a stunning and striking figure.

This was also the first time he had the pleasure of seeing a more casually dressed Harry. He wore a pair of loose fitting denims with a green button down shirt. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up his forearms; he could just make out the edge of the tattoos Astrid had once mentioned Harry had. Regulus wondered if that tattoos had any specific meaning or if they were merely for decoration.

Somehow, he doubted it was the case.

"Hello Harry!" James greeted in a forcefully cheerful voice. "We were in the neighborhood and decided to drop by and see how you were. That's okay, right?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at that and Regulus had to bite back a sigh. It seemed quite unlikely that they had simply been in the 'neighborhood' as James had claimed. They were Wizards after all, not bloody Muggles. Nonetheless, Harry simply held the door open wider and allowed them entrance.

"Of course. You are welcome to visit at any time," Harry replied. With his back to the door, he missed the surprised but pleased looks on the faces of his guests. It was, as far as Regulus knew, the first time Harry had ever extended such an offer.

Remus recovered the quickest of his brother's friends and peered around him with some curiosity. "James and Lily mentioned they gave the Summer House to you," he said. "It's been a while since I've visited. Have you made many changes?"

As a means of starting conversation, Regulus had heard worse. Remus, at least, had a modicum of tact, something neither James nor his brother had really learned.

Harry, at least, seemed amused by the comment and moved to lead them down the hall. "I've made some modifications, naturally, but nothing too obvious – except for the library of course."

"Oh?" Sirius asked. For all that his brother had a reputation as being a bit of a prankster and not taking much in life seriously, Regulus knew how much his brother loved knowledge. He was an Unspeakable, after all. "If I remember correctly, the library here was pretty well stocked, wasn't it Jamesy?"

"Yes – Lily wouldn't allow otherwise," the former owner waved off.

"I needed to make room for my own books," Harry interjected. "And I own quite a lot." He gave them a bland smile. "Come, I'll show you around, though I daresay I've not changed too much. Really, except for the library and the study, I've scarcely changed a thing. I have managed to unpack my trunks though and have pulled out some of the items I didn't want to languish away in my bank vaults."

He led them down the hall and into the parlor. "Hey, Regulus," Sirius asked sounding startled and well he might as he pointed out a particularly fine silver framed mirror. "Didn't Mildred Black own one just like this?"

Peering at it closely, Regulus nodded. "Indeed she did. In fact, I believe it is currently gracing the wall of my sitting room." It was truly astounding how similar it looked to it. He turned to Harry, who had a smirk on his face. "Do you know who made it?"

He coughed a little and with a glint of amusement in his voice said, "I very well imagine it was the same artist as the one who made your own. It is, after all, an object I inherited from my godfather in my own reality."

"What?" Sirius asked, looking confused and not understanding what Harry meant though by the expression of dawning understanding on James' face, the other Potter had a good idea of what he meant.

"Have I not mentioned this before?" Harry asked with a light frown on his face. For all that, he looked relaxed as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed at the chest. "The trunks Luna, Neville and I carried into this world contained the majority of our possessions, which included the entirety of our inheritances and whatever else we had acquired during the course of the war." Regulus somehow suspected that the 'whatever else' Harry referred to was not necessarily legally acquired but did not push him on it.

"My godfather named me his heir and I inherited all his belongings except those that went to Moony on his death. And Moony made me his heir as well." He gave a slight shrug and shifted, the only sign of his discomfort at speaking of the room's counterparts before continuing. "I'm sure my bankers have made an inventory list if you would like to take a look for comparison."

"Nah, no need for that," Sirius dismissed. "I hate most of the stuff anyway."

"I know," Harry said in a voice too low to be heard by the rest of the room. Regulus, who had moved to stand closer to him did however, and looked over sharply to him. He met sad eyes that quickly blanked once he realized someone had noticed.

He didn't push, not wanting to get them thrown out before they had even begun the task that had sent them here. The others wouldn't forgive him should he manage that.

"Let me show you the rest of the house," Harry suggested and the others followed as he maneuvered them through the rest of the rooms in the hall.

Except for minor exclamations at recognizing family heirlooms, he gathered that not much had changed. Of course, Harry had only had ownership of the Summer House for a short period of time so perhaps that had curtailed his redecorating efforts.

Then, he brought them to the library. It was, in one word, _magnificent_. Judging by the gasps and exclamations of his companions, they felt the same.

"By Merlin!" Remus stuttered. "How? When?"

Harry shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "I had some free time this past week, so…" he trailed off.

"You did this by yourself?" James asked, looking astounded and well he might. It took a tremendous amount of power and magical strength to do such a thing.

"Well, yeah," Harry said, as if it were only logical for him to do so. "I mean, it took me a couple of days and I was right tired afterwards, but I didn't want to have two libraries. It only made sense to expand this one. Once I started on the addition to the house, it only took a little more energy to make it how I wanted."

James and Sirius exchanged stunned looks, seeming at a loss for words.

"It looks amazing," Remus praised. "I… I hope you'll allow me to explore sometime?" He looked hopefully towards Harry.

"I figured you'd like it," Harry shrugged. "As long as the books don't leave the house, I don't care."

"Thank you," James said softly. Harry seemed to read more into that anyone as he smiled softly and gave another shrug.

"So I guess you came around for a reason. Why don't we go to my study and we can talk."

With a confidence that implied he expected to be followed, Harry exited the library. It was a struggle to leave the room, but Regulus forced himself to follow.

After all, Harry _had_ said they could read the books. He'd be back.

***

As they settled into the indicated seats before Harry's desk, Remus held out hope that this visit would not end in disaster. So far, it had proven quite the opposite. Harry had not thrown them out; he had given them a tour of the newly refurbished house and had even given them permission to read some of the books in his magnificent library. Remus wished he had confidence that Harry would not rescind the invitation before the end of the day.

Rather than sit with them, Harry leaned back against the front of his desk. He looked relaxed but then why shouldn't he? This was his home, his study and they were all so nervous it practically radiated from them. He would have to be blind to not see this – and if it was one thing Harry was not, he was not unobservant.

"I imagine it is something big, if you took the chance to come here without calling ahead," Harry began.

"Um… sort of?" James squeaked. He shook himself and looked to Sirius for strength.

"Is something wrong with Astrid or Althea?" Harry asked, his eyes flashing with hidden emotion.

"What?" James looked surprised before he shook his head vigorously. "No, no. They're fine, aren't they Moony?"

"Of course. I saw them this morning on their way to Hogsmeade," he replied with a calm he didn't quite feel.

"We know about Neville and Luna," Sirius blurted out. "We just wanted to know if you're okay. Don't hurt us, please?"

Remus closed his eyes at Sirius' abrupt disclosure for the why of their presence. "Sirius!" he hissed, something echoed by James and even Regulus.

"Sorry, sorry," Sirius babbled in apology.

Harry laughed. It was the first time they had heard him do so with such abandon. It wasn't very loud, of course, but it was genuine and not forced. None of them could help themselves: they all looked to him with mouths agape.

"Merlin," he calmed down. "I didn't realize I had such a fearsome reputation amongst all of you." He shook his head. "I suppose it's my own fault though."

He moved around his desk and from the bottom drawer produced a decanter that held amber liquor and five tumblers. "This will require some liquid courage – at least for me!" he explained as he poured generous amounts in each before handing them out.

He returned to his spot against his desk and took a gulp of the liquor. Remus followed with a much more discrete sip and recognized the flavor of a particular fine year of firewhiskey.

"Why didn't you tell us?" James asked. "We found out from Frank."

"This new world is quite strange, you know," Harry commented. His foot jiggled in the air, the only sign of his disquiet. "I am so used to everyone knowing my business before I tell them that it didn't really occur to me to let you know."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked, curious to know more about his previous life.

"As the Boy Who Lived and later, the one destined to kill Voldemort, most of the Wizarding world they had a proprietary interest in me," he explained, quite bitter about it all, if the tone of his voice indicated anything. "The papers had no problem publishing stories on me, no matter the degree of truth to them. My privacy didn't matter."

"That's horrendous!" Sirius declared. "Why didn't anyone try to stop them?"

"Who would? I had no parents, the Dursleys could care less and Dumbledore…" he paused to snort in disgust before continuing. "The old man probably saw it as more training."

Remus filed away the reference, hoping to discover what he meant by that at a later date. He had noted in the past how Harry did not seem to hold Headmaster Dumbledore in high esteem, though he refused to explain the why of it.

"At any rate," Harry continued, ignoring the questioning noises and looks of the men in the room. "You wanted to know about Neville and Luna. Neville no doubt informed Frank that we were no longer a triad and that they were moving out. And he told you."

"Yes," James confirmed, sounding a bit dazed. "And that they are getting married."

That news also did not surprise Harry as he continued to smile indulgently at the group before him. "Yes, I know," he assured them. "Neville and Luna informed me themselves."

"Why are you not upset?" Sirius asked. "We can tell you are close."

Sometimes, Remus wished Sirius wasn't so fearless. It was almost as if, having been sorted into Gryffindor when almost every Black before him had been sent to Slytherin – or on occasion Ravenclaw – he was determined to fling himself headfirst into danger in an effort to live up to the Gryffindor reputation. The war had tamped down some of his exuberance, as had age, but he still demonstrated the occasional bout of foolhardy lack of thought.

"We are," Harry agreed. He took a sip of his whisky before setting it down on his desk. He ruffled his hair in a gesture that Remus recognized as belong to James. Was he nervous? It seemed the only explanation for why he continued to hesitate.

"You all joined your war after you left Hogwarts," Harry mused.

"Yes. What good were we if we didn't at least have our NEWTs?" James asked.

"The Dark Lord feared what Dumbledore would do if he had access to a large number of His followers at Hogwarts. He refused to mark us until we graduated," Regulus supplied.

Harry chuckled but this was not the lighthearted and full laughter of earlier. Oh no, this was much darker and hinted at something none of them were certain they wanted to know.

"Some of us were not so lucky," he merely commented. "Officially, the Second War began with Voldemort's resurrection at the end of my fourth year. The Ministry, as I have mentioned before, did not announce his reappearance until the end of my fifth year." He recited the facts as if they did not represent personal and horrific memories for him. "It took Voldemort fourteen years to regain a body, but that is not to say he hadn't made attempts to return before then. My friends and I stopped him in his previous attempts."

Now, he began to pace as if filled with a frenetic energy that would not allow him surcease. "Luna, Neville and I – we are children of war. We _grew up_ in war. None of us graduated Hogwarts, because by that time, it hadn't been a school for months. Nonetheless, we learned. We learned everything that anyone was willing to teach us. And with several others, under the direction of Bill Weasley, Moony and Tonks, we formed our own squad. We called ourselves the Marauders, in honor of Moony and my godfather and my father. It seemed appropriate."

Until now, Harry hadn't really revealed just how close he was to Remus' counterpart. All of them knew that because he was a werewolf, he had not been able to take custody of Harry and had been kept from him until his third year. They didn't know much else about their relationship after that.

"My squad was different from the others. We had one purpose and one purpose only: fulfilling the last request Dumbledore made to me. We spent our time learning what we needed to know in order to survive, planned raids and went on them, and researched. Lots and lots of research."

"When the war first started, my particularly close friends were Hermione and Ron. They had been my best friends through our sixth year and had joined me on my question. Ron left Hermione and me within a couple of months of our setting out. Our friendship never really recovered and I had trouble trusting him again. Hermione…"

He gazed at something none of them could see. Remus, seeing that Sirius had started to fidget, moved quickly and kissed him to keep him distracted until Harry once again spoke. Sirius didn't seem to mind, given his rather enthusiastic response.

"That's different," Harry interrupted with a bemused voice. It broke through the haze that snogging Sirius always put him into and Remus lifted his head in slight embarrassment.

"What is?" James asked, humor and puzzlement alike in his tone.

"The snogging," Harry explained with a half shrug. "Don't know if my Sirius and Remus had anything going on. They could have for all I know, but if they did, they kept it quiet."

Huh. Remus couldn't imagine a world where he didn't have Sirius with him. It just seemed wrong. From the look on Sirius' face, he felt the same.

***

"You were… explaining something about the war?" James pushed when the room remained silent after Harry's latest revelation. As much as he loved Sirius and Remus, he didn't really care about their relationship; he cared about Harry and his.

"Right," Harry said with a shake of the head. "Hermione was a part of the Marauders for a while but she eventually moved full time into research and I didn't see her all that often. Since I spent all my time with the Marauders, they eventually became my close confidants. And Luna and Neville more or less appointed themselves as my seconds after Bill died. That was probably three years ago. Not sure, really."

How awful was the war that he couldn't remember exact dates? A selfish part of James was glad that their war wasn't as awful as his almost-son's was. It shamed him but he didn't know if he could have made it through the same experiences as sane as Harry had. Something to think about at a future date.

"About two years ago, Luna decided that she and Neville were going to start sharing my bed. I don't know why – or at least she's never said. But they started doing so and well…" he finished with a shrug. "Luna and Neville had been a couple since '96. We all assumed they'd be putting their names in for handfasting or marriage but they never did, not even when Neville's Gran or Luna's dad died. As… let me put it this way," he explained with a wry grin, "people slept with each other for a variety of reasons but mostly for comfort. Most of us were too fucked up or too scared of what the next day or night was going to bring to enter into anything truly permanent, doubly so for those of us who did the fighting. People like Hermione – those who did the research or were civilians or Healers? They were more likely to form attachments with people in similar positions to them. People like me? Not so much."

"But Luna and Neville did," Regulus stated.

"Yep," Harry confirmed. "Helped that they were together before the real nasty stuff began, but they remained solid. Hence, my surprise when they barged their way into my bed."

James hoped that he didn't go into any details; he had no desire to know more than the bare bones about Harry's sex life, just like he believed Dora remained as pure as ever no matter how untrue that might be. Fortunately, Harry seemed to read his mind or maybe he was modest because he didn't provide details.

"All three of us knew it was a temporary thing. Something to get us through the war – really, something to get _me_ through the war and sane." He gulped down the rest of his drink. "We're stable here. Or at least as stable as we'll be for a while. I didn't want them putting their life on hold, not for me, not anymore."

"So that's it? You just ended it?" Sirius asked as if he couldn't quite believe such an act. James found it difficult to understand as well.

"Yep," Harry answered and looked nonchalant as he lounged against his desk.

"So you're… settled here?" Remus asked. He had that little frown on his face that always appeared when he was trying to follow someone else's logic.

"Seems so," Harry agreed.

Somehow it rang false but James didn't know how to call his almost-son on it. Taking a glance around the room, it seemed like no one else did either.

***

"Well?!" Lily pounced on James as soon as he returned home.

"Seems like it was his idea," he explained. "He… I don't know Lils."

She turned to Remus and Regulus for more of an explanation. Remus just looked at her with sad eyes and shook his head.

"Harry seems convinced that Luna and Neville are better off without him; the two were apparently a couple for many years before they came to Harry and now that their war is over and they have recovered, he has sought to return them to the status quo," Regulus informed her. He carefully pulled on his gloves. "I do not believe you can change his mind about the truth to that. If his _petits amours_ could not, I doubt anyone else could."

"So that's it?" Lily asked, feeling let down. She had hoped they could help him and now it seemed they could not.

"It is as it is," Regulus replied, seemingly the spokesman for the group.

"He spoke to us," Sirius pointed out. "He didn't have to but he tried to explain."

"It's a good sign," Regulus agreed. "I think… I think perhaps he is no longer interested in keeping himself so isolated. He seems determined to embrace a normal life, whatever that means." He gave a shrug. "I wish you luck with him. I'm afraid I must go now." He approached Lily and gave her a light kiss. "It could have been worse." With a dissolute shrug he apparated away and left Lily with the more morose members of the group. Let them satisfy her curiosity.

"But what did he say?" she asked and they settled into the kitchen to tell her.

***

Harry arrived at their weekly dinner as he always did. He didn't seem unduly upset with his life so Lily presumed her husband and his friends had the right of it. Still, she had made them all promise not to mention his friends. She didn't want him upset.

"Are you enjoying your unpacking?" she asked.

"I'm pretty much finished," he confessed. "I've been sorting through some research though."

"Oh?" she asked, the Unspeakable in her wanting to know the details.

"Yeah. We didn't have a lot of time to do more than haphazardly note down what we were doing during the war. I've been going through what I have."

"Sounds fascinating," Regulus chimed in. "Will you be sharing your work?"

"Probably some of it," Harry said. "I'm sure your employer will be happy."

"Are you planning on accepting Croaker's offer?" Sirius asked.

"I don't want to work for the Department of Mysteries," Harry declared. "Too many bad memories."

"Independent then?" Regulus put in before anyone else could speak.

"Not like I have to worry about money," Harry replied with a casual shrug. "Besides, I like being my own boss."

No one had an argument to counter that.

***

"Neville, Luna," Harry greeted, ignoring the stares of others in the restaurant as he graced them each with a kiss on the cheek. The news of their engagement had hit the papers not even three weeks ago but this was the first time the three had been seen in public together.

"How are you?" Neville asked as he spread his napkin across his lap.

"Fine," Harry said. "Yourselves?"

"The house is coming along nicely. Neville likes the garden, though it's not as nice as the one at the Summer House," Luna answered.

"I'm sure it will be by the time Neville's done with it."

They waited until the waiter had arrived to take their order before continuing their conversation. "Luna mentioned you met this reality's version of your Gran," Harry commented. "How'd that go?"

Neville grimaced. "Not bad. Insisted I call her 'Grandmother' if I couldn't manage Gran. Said everyone in the family other than Frank did."

"At least she's welcoming," Harry pointed out.

"True," Neville acknowledged. Luna smiled sadly as he grasped her hand in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, nodding towards their clasped hands. "They haven't come around?"

"No," Luna gave a sad shrug. "Xeno is quite happy to meet with me but the excuses he gives for Soleil are starting to get ridiculous. I don't know why she doesn't like to meet with me, but…" She trailed off and he could see the pain in her eyes.

"Their loss," Harry replied firmly.

"Definitely!" Neville agreed.

"Doesn't stop it from hurting," Luna pointed out.

"What about you?" Neville asked. "How are James and Lily?"

"And the rest of their clan?" Harry laughed. "Merlin! They're driving me insane! James and Sirius keep setting me up with people in the Ministry."

"We've heard. No go though?" Luna asked.

"Not really. It's hard, you know? Half of them I've killed or injured since they were DEs," he explained.

"What about the others?"

"They're so damn young!" he complained. "I mean, not necessarily physically, since some of them are older than me but they didn't survive what we did. It's hard to connect with people our age."

"I know what you mean," Neville replied. "I met this world's version of Hannah and it was a lot harder to deal with her than I thought it would be. She's so… so…"

"Innocent," the three chorused together, laughing as they did.

"What about Regulus?" Luna asked after they calmed down. "You seem to spend a lot of time with him."

Harry flushed. "I don't know," he prevaricated. "He's hard to read and I don't know if he's interested."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Neville pushed.

"He's older than me – by a lot; his brother was my godfather – in this universe and our own," Harry started counting.

"Excuses!" Luna sung. "Do you like him?"

He fiddled with his utensils, a sure sign of nervousness, but he also had that look on his face he had when he was examining his feelings. "I do," he finally confessed. "He's smart and funny. Can take care of himself in a fight – we've done some practice dueling. And we have a lot of the same interests."

"I don't see what the problem is. Go for it," Neville encouraged.

"Maybe," Harry finally conceded. "Oh! James introduced me to Hermione last week!"

"Really? What's she like?" Neville leant forward.

"More intense in some ways, less intense in others. She's dating Lisa Turpin though," he grinned.

"That's different," Neville said.

"I know!" Harry exclaimed. "She seems happy though."

"Neville and I met Susan Bones and Blaise Zabini," Luna offered. And as lunch continued, they traded news about the people they met and how they differed from their counterparts. As much as Harry or Neville might insist it was 'intelligence gathering,' Luna knew the truth: they were all just a bunch of gossips. She couldn't find it inside herself to complain about it though; she liked the feeling of normality it engendered.

Besides, who knew when it would come in handy?

***

Sitting in his study, Regulus contemplated his current obsession, one Harry James Potter. He couldn't explain his attraction and fascination with the newest member of the Potter clan; he snorted at the lie that drifted through his thoughts. If he could be honest with anyone, surely he could be so with himself – especially since no one else was present to see him through this crisis of conscious.

Harry Potter was an attractive wizard. He could admit that. The young man resembled James in appearance – except for his lovely eyes, which he could only have received from the Evans' line. He had a runner's body, which seemed to fit his dueling style perfectly. It didn't surprise Regulus to discover that Harry had played Seeker in Quidditch. He had that look.

Then there were the scars. He didn't have very many visible scars or they were covered by his robes and clothing. They just leant to the dangerous aura he exuded. No one would mistake him for a child or innocent, though he should be, given his age. Harry's magic oozed out of his skin, a blanket of barely leashed power that called to the magic of other witches and wizards. Regulus didn't think he realized; he suspected if he did, he would be upset, seeing it as a sign of not being 'normal' whatever that meant.

Of course, Regulus looked for more than power and physical appearance in his chosen partners: he liked intelligent conversation and debate. Harry provided that in spades. He seemed to prefer academic discussions to more personal ones, something that served to frustrate his new family. This had changed a bit as of late; Harry had taken to sharing more of his personal life lately. He still shied away from giving too much information and refused to talk about his relationships with Sirius and Remus. Given time, he was certain that too would change.

All of that was moot; Regulus wouldn't act on his desires. Harry belonged to the Potter clan and the Potter clan had taken him in when everything else in his life had fallen apart. He felt it would be a betrayal to them if he tried to cultivate a more personal relationship with Harry. Even the tacit approval he had received from James and Sirius and Lily didn't move him from his decision. He didn't want to force them to choose between him and their newfound son if things went south.

He grimaced; he had no way of knowing if Harry was even interested in him. He had just ended his long-term relationship with Luna and Neville and no matter if he insisted he was all right and it was his decision, he still needed time to recover. And Regulus believed he did need that time, given that he had needed several glasses of firewhisky to actually tell them about it.

Regulus sighed, no closer to an answer than when he had begun his introspection. Harry still fascinated him and he didn't quite know what he was going to do about that.

***

_December, 2002_

The Light had made a colossal mistake when they won the war: they had believed they could keep the children of the Dark families from learning their heritage. Oh, they had imprisoned every marked Death Eater they could; they had watched those they suspected of ties to Voldemort; they had even forced all the Wizard-raised children to take a Muggle studies course their first year, to give them an 'appreciation of how Muggle history and technology has affected the Wizarding world.' For all that, they had not ensured that the children of the Death Eaters had not gained their parents' beliefs.

And that would be their downfall.

For over twenty years, the wives and mothers and sisters and cousins of those imprisoned in Azkaban had quietly taught their young ones the truth about the Wizarding world and how weak the Light side was. They made sure their children and nieces and nephews and grandchildren did not spout the so-called prejudiced views of their imprisoned relatives – oh no, they were far more cunning. The children of the Dark acted meekly and parroted what those fools from the Light wanted to hear. And all the while, they waited patiently to make their move.

It was finally time. She gave the signal, excitement coursing through her veins and making her giddy with dark happiness. They would not fail and this time the Dark would prevail.

She couldn't wait.

***

It had only taken a glance at the headlines for Neville to curse. He grabbed Luna by the hand and practically threw her through the floo. Harry was waiting for them, wand in hand and looked like he hadn't since they had arrived and realized they were in a world that currently lived in peace.

"You saw?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded, a grim look on his face. "I did."

"What?" Luna wanted to know. "Neville didn't explain - he just sent me through." She felt like stamping her foot at the imperious way in which her fiancé had acted.

"Azkaban. Someone broke out every single Death Eater imprisoned there," Harry told her.

"I see," she said and she suddenly understood his actions. "I guess we're coming out of retirement." She gave a bitter smile.

"Yep," Harry agreed, matching her smile for smile.

"Too much to hope that the peace would last," Neville added.

"We're not that lucky," Harry agreed.

"Where are we starting?" Luna asked as they followed their commander to his study. And as he pulled out the map and files from his cabinet she reflected on how easy it was to fall back into the roles they had held for so long.

Sometimes, she wondered if Aristotle had the right of it – that man made war to make peace. She didn't know but hoped that this would be the last chapter in their war. She was tired of fighting.

**_To be continued…_**


End file.
